Rules and regulations for passenger ships

Lees deze pagina in het Nederlands

Navigation area: inland waterways, sea, or both?

• If your passenger ship operates on inland waters only, scroll down to ‘Requirements for passenger ships on inland waterways’. 
• If your passenger ship operates only at sea, the requirements for seagoing vessels apply. There are specific requirements for seagoing vessels up to 12 metres (in Dutch). 
• If your passenger ship operates on both inland waters and at sea, it must meet the requirements for both.

Requirements for passenger ships on inland waterways

Ships carrying 12 or more passengers on inland waters in the Netherlands fall under the Binnenvaartwet (Inland Navigation Act). These ships must carry a binnenschipcertificaat (Inland Navigation Certificate) and other relevant documents. You may only allow passengers on board and set sail if you have a valid and correct Inland Navigation Certificate. An Inland Navigation Certificate for passenger ships is valid for up to 5 years.

Passenger ships must also comply with the rules and regulations outlined in chapter 19 of the European Standard for Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels (ES-TRIN) to obtain an Inland Navigation Certificate. Specific requirements for passenger accommodation, facilities, and other areas where passengers are allowed are outlined in ES-TRIN 19.06.

Passenger ships operating on major waterways (zone 2, in Dutch) must also meet additional technical requirements. These are listed in Annex 3.1 of the Binnenvaartregeling (Inland Navigation Regulations, in Dutch).

Proof of rigging examination for passenger sailing ships on inland waterways

In addition to the rules and regulations specified above, passenger sailing ships on inland waters must also have a Bewijs van Tuigagekeuring, BvT (proof of a rigging examination). This also applies to historical passenger sailing ships, known as the bruine vloot (brown fleet).

The BvT certifies that a sailing ship complies with chapter 20 of the ES-TRIN. It covers components such as masts, booms, yards, and rigging. A BvT is valid for 2.5 years. You can request a BvT from one of the inspection bodies for inland navigation vessels in the Netherlands (in Dutch).

The ILT’s instructions (in Dutch) includes details on:

• How often the rigging must be examined.
• What the examination entails.
• How to present the rigging for examination.

For the brown fleet, there are specific conditions for the use of HMPE lines (in Dutch) due to recent investigations by the ILT (in Dutch) of all certified historic passenger sailing ships. This investigation involved the assessment of the rigging book, a physical inspection of the rigging, and the strength assessment of the spars. By September 2024, 210 out of 227 ships had been inspected and approved, representing 93% of the fleet. The investigation is now nearly complete.

Waste management contribution on inland waters

Operators of passenger ships on inland waters must pay a waste management contribution for waste products containing oil and grease.