The RCD has been with us for a decade now and has created a level playing field for marine manufacturers and traders across all 25 member states plus the EEA states of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It has also raised the level of consumer confidence by addressing the essential aspects of a boat's design, construction and safety, evidenced by the CE Mark on the builder's plate.

New or used boats imported from outside the EU, and used boats which were first sold after June 1998, also fall within the scope of the RCD and traders who do not take steps to comply are liable for prosecution. A £5,000 fine is bad enough, but who wants to risk three months in jail?

This amendment only applies to new 2-stroke engines. Existing engines can be used until the end of their useful life and the replacement unit must comply with the RCD. But all types of petrol engines must comply with CO, NOx and particulate and hydrocarbon limits; diesel engines also have to comply with particulate limits.

In practice, smaller 2-stroke engines that run on a fuel/oil mixture cannot be made to comply and can no longer be sold in the EU. Builders of all boats and PWCs must certify that their product is within the noise emission limits.

Information is available on the process of complying with the RCD from the British Marine Federation (BMF) Technical Department (contact Nigel Saw, technical manager). Otherwise, the RYA and BMF together run a download site if you want to study the RCD regulations in depth (rcdweb.com)

Full information on the RCD is also available from the Department of Trade and Industry (www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/strd/ecdirect/page12637.html).

Editor’s note: I attended a seminar at METS that announced the findings of a working group set up by Brussels to examine the consequences of further reductions in exhaust emissions, so this may not be the last RCD emissions amendment… PN