At Grand Pavois 2025, the French government and the yachting industry published a joint roadmap outlining key priorities up to 2030. Ecological transition, attractiveness of professions and development of nautical practices: three structuring axes in an attempt to make yachting more sustainable and accessible but the real question is: what will change for the French small boat sector?
Today, boating and yachting are practiced by nearly 15 million people in France, including 4 million regular boaters. The industry employs Continue reading “Roadmap 2030: what will change for the French small boat sector?”
Marine surveyors and boat owners are regularly heard to say there is a minimum 4.0mm of hull thickness required at time of survey of a steel narrowboat. Some brokers even publish videos of such information, with some surveyors enforcing it (Whilton Marina, 2012 and 2016). Boaters are subject to it and repair often follows. In a recent article, Geoff Waddington (2021) explains there is confusion in the industry about wastage limits, and consequently acceptable residual hull plate thicknesses, and opinions among surveyors ‘vary wildly’, with some quoting 3mm acceptable minimum plate thickness, others using percentage loss. This short paper explores what a standardised acceptable limit for diminution, and therefore residual steel plate thickness for narrowboats, could be. It describes a variety of methods of calculating the design plate thicknesses (scantlings) and the minimum acceptable residual plate thickness. In doing so, this paper aims to serve as a guide for inland waterways marine surveyors, boat owners, repairers, and insurers alike. 
The 
