Referat Schiffbau
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Alexander Dierichs
Phone: +49 40 361 37-244
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: schiffbau@bg-verkehr.de
Detlef Rathke
Phone: +49 40 361 37-232
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: schiffbau@bg-verkehr.de
Small craft · Special vessels
Small craft
Special vessel
Small craft
Definition of small craft
A small craft is a cargo ship with a gross tonnage of up to 100 and a vessel length of up to 8 m, according to German Ship Safety Ordinance ("Schiffssicherheitsverordnung").
Small craft used non-commercially and solely for sport or recreational purposes are excluded from the application of the safety requirements for cargo ships (Annex 1a, Part 6, Chapter 1, No. 1.2.5).
Only if the sole intended purpose of the non-commercially used small craft is the ship-related sporting activity or ship-related recreation of the persons on board, a Ship Safety Certificate is not required. This exemption is explicitly not possible based merely on the use of the vessel for leisure purposes in contrast to its occupational use. The craft has to be used for more than just the voyage itself, thus as a sporting device, for example for sailing or for the exercise of motorboat sport.
Safety requirements
The safety requirements for small craft are regulated in the German Ship Safety Ordinance Annex 1a, in particular in
- Part 6 (Safety requirements for cargo ships), chapter 3 (Small craft)
- Part 7 (Load line requirements) and
- Part 8 (Safety requirements for ship steam boilers)
The safety requirements of Chapter 2 of Part 6 only apply if Chapter 3 does not stipulate something else.
Surveys and ship certificates
Surveyors of the Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr conduct the required surveys for small craft. The Ship Safety Division also issues the certificates for small craft. Please submit the application to the Ship Safety Division – the easiest way is via e-mail to besichtigungen@bg-verkehr.de.
Special vessels
Definition of special vessel
According to the German Ship Safety Ordinance ("Schiffssicherheitsverordnung"), a special vessel is a cargo ship with a gross tonnage in excess of 100 used for a particular purpose. Special vessels are divided up into 5 different categories:
- tugboat: a cargo ship which is built and designed to haul and push water craft, floating tools and other floating equipment;
- authority vessel: a cargo ship which is used for official and not commercial purposes, in particular a service vessel within the meaning of section 3c) of the German Flag Act;
- water craft with no independent propulsion: a cargo ship which is built so as to be hauled or pushed by other craft, in particular barges or pontoons;
- floating tool: a cargo ship built in such a way that it can only accommodate a specific tool and which does not have any other means of loading, in particular dredgers, floating cranes, pile drivers, hoisting devices as well as drilling, jack-up and production platforms;
- jack-up vessel: a cargo ship which is built and designed to transport and erect structures at sea;
Safety requirements
The safety requirements for special vessels are stipulated in the German Ship Safety Ordinance (Schiffssicherheitsverordnung) as long as they do not fall under the provisions of the international SOLAS Convention. In the Ship Safety Ordinance, the requirements are regulated in Annex 1a, in particular in
- Part 6 (Safety requirements for cargo ships), and in there in particular in Chapter 2 (Cargo ships) and Chapter 4 (Special craft)
- Part 7 (Load line requirements) and
- Part 8 (Safety requirements for ship's steam boilers).
Survey and ship certificates
Surveyors of the Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr conduct the required surveys for special vessels. The Ship Safety Division also issues the certificates for special vessels. Please submit the application to the Ship Safety Division for this – the easiest way is via e-mail to: surveys@bg-verkehr.de.