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STANDARDS · ISO

ISO standards for CE-marked boats: the small craft standards surveyors cite

UPDATED 6 NOVEMBER 2026 · 4 FINDINGS · 4 SOURCES

The ISO small craft standards behind CE-marked boats, what each covers, how they line up with the ABYC standards US surveyors use, and how to cite them in a finding.

AT A GLANCE
ISO small craft standards
OFFICIAL TITLE
International standards for small craft, published by ISO and adopted in Europe as EN ISO
COVERS
Design, construction and equipment of small craft up to 24 m, from hull scantlings to electrical, fuel, gas, fire protection, bilge pumping and liferafts
SURVEYORS CHECK
CE-marked boats against the ISO standard for each system, the way US surveyors use ABYC
GET THE TEXT
Sold by ISO and national standards bodies, as ISO or EN ISO

A CE-marked boat was built to meet the Recreational Craft Directive, and the usual way to meet it is the harmonised ISO standards. For a surveyor in Europe they do the job ABYC does in the US.

The standards surveyors meet most

Standard Covers ABYC counterpart
ISO 13297 AC and DC electrical systems E-11
ISO 10088 Permanently installed fuel systems H-24, H-33
ISO 21487 Petrol and diesel fuel tanks H-24, H-33
ISO 7840 and ISO 8469 Fuel hoses, fire resistant and non fire resistant H-24
ISO 10239 LPG systems A-1
ISO 9094 Fire protection
ISO 15083 Bilge pumping systems H-22
ISO 9093 Seacocks and through-hull fittings H-27
ISO 11105 Ventilation of petrol engine and tank compartments H-2
ISO 9650 Inflatable liferafts
ISO 15085 Man-overboard prevention and recovery
ISO 11812 Watertight and quick-draining cockpits
ISO 12215 Hull construction and scantlings, in several parts
ISO 12217 Stability, buoyancy and design category
ISO 14945 Builder's plate
ISO 10240 Owner's manual
ISO 8099 Waste water retention systems
ISO 16180 Navigation lights

How to use them in a survey

Check the builder's plate for the CE mark and design category, then judge each system against its ISO standard as you would against ABYC. Where a boat was built to ABYC, cite ABYC; where it's CE-marked, cite ISO. Citing the standard the boat was built to keeps the finding fair to the builder and clear to the owner.

National rules sit on top. Required safety equipment, such as lifejackets, liferafts and flares, is set by each country: see Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus.

Citing them in a finding

"Fit overcurrent protection within 200 mm of the battery, ISO 13297", or "replace the unmarked fuel hose with hose to ISO 7840, ISO 10088". Name the system, the requirement in plain words and the standard.

Findings judged against ISO small craft standards

Each page shows how the defect is found, what decides the grade and example findings written up at A, B and C.

ELECTRICAL

Missing overcurrent protection

Why an unfused battery cable is a fire risk, the ABYC E-11 rule surveyors check against, which fuse types suit which battery banks, what the fix costs and three example findings graded A, B and C.

How to find and write it up
ENGINE AND FUEL

Fuel hose type and age

What USCG Type A1, A2, B1 and B2 fuel hose means, which hose goes where under ABYC H-24 and H-33, what a surveyor looks for, what replacement costs and three example findings graded A, B and C.

How to find and write it up
GAS AND SAFETY

LPG locker drain

Why propane sinks and a gas locker has to drain overboard, what ABYC A-1 asks of LPG lockers, what a surveyor checks, the common faults and three example findings graded A, B and C.

How to find and write it up
GAS AND SAFETY

Expired life raft

How often a yacht life raft needs servicing, what ISO 9650 and the makers ask, what a service costs, when replacing beats servicing, and three example findings graded A, B and C.

How to find and write it up

Frequently asked

Are ISO standards mandatory for CE boats?

The Recreational Craft Directive sets the essential requirements in law. Builders usually meet them by following the harmonised ISO standards, adopted in Europe as EN ISO, which is why a surveyor checks a CE-marked boat against ISO.

What is the ISO equivalent of ABYC E-11?

ISO 13297, which covers DC systems at 50 V or less and single-phase AC up to 250 V on small craft. It replaced ISO 10133.

Which ISO standard covers boat fuel systems?

ISO 10088, for permanently installed petrol and diesel fuel systems from the fill to the engine. Fuel tanks themselves are covered by ISO 21487.

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Related standards

All standards
RCD 2013/53/EU

Directive 2013/53/EU on recreational craft and personal watercraft

What the EU Recreational Craft Directive covers, which boats it applies to and which it excludes, the CE marking and builder's plate, private imports and post-construction assessment, and what a surveyor checks on a CE-marked boat.

What surveyors check
ISO 13297

Small craft, Electrical systems, Alternating and direct current installations

What ISO 13297 covers on small craft electrical systems, the 50 V DC and 250 V AC limits, what it replaced, what it excludes, how it compares with ABYC E-11 and how to cite it in a finding.

What surveyors check
ISO 10088

Small craft, Permanently installed fuel systems

What ISO 10088 covers on a CE-marked boat's petrol or diesel fuel system, from the fill to the engine, what it leaves to ISO 21487, what a surveyor checks and how to cite it in a finding.

What surveyors check
ISO 12215

Small craft, Hull construction and scantlings (ISO 12215, in several parts)

What ISO 12215 covers for small craft hull construction, the parts on design pressures, structural details, rudders, keels and rig attachments, how surveyors use it on structural findings, and how to cite ISO 12215 in a finding.

What surveyors check
ISO 12217

Small craft, Stability and buoyancy assessment and categorization

What the RCD design categories A, B, C and D mean in wind force and wave height, how ISO 12217 stability assessment sets them, why load changes the category, and how surveyors use them in a report.

What surveyors check
ISO 6185

Inflatable boats (ISO 6185, parts 1 to 4)

How ISO 6185 splits inflatable boats and RIBs by motor power and length, the boat types in each part, the design categories RIBs are built for, what surveyors check on a tender or RIB, and how to cite ISO 6185 in a finding.

What surveyors check

Report templates that cite it

FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Pre-purchase survey

A free Word template for a yacht pre-purchase survey report: every section explained, example wording, the sea trial and valuation, and example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

Insurance survey

A free Word template for a condition and valuation survey report for boat insurance: each section explained, the insurer's requirements, market and replacement value, and example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD

New build survey

A free Word template for a new build or build stage survey report: progress against the specification, inspection by stage, compliance, the punch list and acceptance trials, with example findings graded A, B and C.

Open template

Related guides

INSPECTION CHECKLISTS · 7 MIN

Yacht survey checklist: what a surveyor inspects, system by system

The full boat and yacht survey checklist, from hull and keel to rig, engine, gas and safety kit, and what changes between a pre-purchase and an insurance survey.