Make arrangements in advance
You can book an examination up to (but not
exceeding) two months before your old certificate; or RCD
Declaration of Conformity 4-year deadline runs out; or the Annex
IIIa first year anniversary.
If your boat passes with two months or less left on your
existing certificate, the examiner will post-date the new
certificate to start from the date when either the old one
expired; the fourth anniversay of the DoC or first-year date
of the Annex IIIa document.
This means you do not lose any of the full four-year, or
one-year validity of the existing document as relevant.
We recommend taking advantage of this facility, because if your
boat fails for any reason, you will still have some time to put
things right.
For the same reason even if you have no old certificate or DoC
it is a good idea to contact an examiner well in advance of needing
to get your boat licensed, registered or take up a mooring.
Selecting the examiner
Be prepared to get two or three quotations, and always have a
list of questions to hand so that you can agree the details right
at the outset.
These could include for example, does the price include the cost
of a certificate, are there extra charges if the examiner spends
longer inspecting your boat than he expected, and will there be an
extra charge if the examiner needs to make a return visit?
The examiner might ask you a range of questions about the
systems installed on your boat to help him give you an accurate
quote. Sorting these details out can help you make an informed
choice when selecting an examiner.
Remember, each examiner is free to set his or her own charges,
and market forces, the complexity of the boat's installations, VAT
applicability, and travelling time may influence the prices given
to you.
