All Luxury Motor Yachts are built differently and that will lead to different amounts of work required to get the boat through CAT 1 Certification.

There are some safety requirements that a boat must meet here in NZ to get its CAT One Certification to travel to the Pacific Islands. This certification is not required to bring a boat into New Zealand. The certification is assessed and issued by Yachting New Zealand.

Preparation is vital to a safe and successful voyage but the journey is a real trip of a lifetime.

To get your boat ready for a voyage to the islands you can expect to complete the following to your vessel:

  • Polycarbonate Window Coverings if your window glass is under required thickness. First we make templates of all the saloon windows and exact polycarbonate copies of the windows which are then installed over top as a protective barrier from any rouge waves. We made custom stainless steel brackets that are threaded so we’re able to fix the polycarbonate panels to the brackets. Once the polycarbonate panels are in place we cover all joins with heavy duty polyethylene tape to stop water from getting in behind the panels.
  • Life Raft suitable for the number of crew with a hydrostatic release.
  • Clear signage for emergency equipment
  • Spare parts for repairs including training from our mechanic on how to make repairs
  • Survival Training
  • Fire blankets, CAT 1 life-jackets and other safety equipment are on board and checked in operational condition and appropriately labeled
  • All life buoys are labeled
  • Vessel tracking equipment
  • Thorough check of vessel systems including fixing any issues before you leave – preventative maintenance is important here
  • Spare Anchor and Chain
  • Fuel bladders suitable for your vessel. In Cabana’s case we made 3 “Bulwark” style tanks that utilises the boat structure for support. Made from polyurethane military fuel grade fabric
  • Fuel filling and discharge system including easy to use camlock fittings and self priming pumps. We also build redundancy into the system to factor in unplanned failures.
  • Cases and bags to store used equipment in once finished. This ensures that diesel is contained at all times.
  • Vessel Registration Number displayed no smaller than 50mm high

It’s important to have a good crew with you on-board while making the journey and that they are appropriately trained for emergency situations.