BSS

Asking for advice about how to change the gas bottles, it was pointed out that dogma's current gas installation would fail a BSS examination. The bendy orange pipe with the corroded clips should not be there. It's a bodge. But it was obviously there in June, when the boat was signed off as safe to live on for another 4 years.

We based our purchase of dogma partly on the fact that she had a valid British Safety Certificate that was good until 2013. She was safe. And the hull integrity was the only unknown (which is why we got that professionally surveyed). We've been urged to contact the BSS. As they (sometimes) want to hear about things which been passed, but really shouldn't have.

On the upside, a new set of flexible pipes and the manhours to fit them, won't be a tremendous expense. We were going to do it anyway, for peace of mind. But we feel let down by the British Safety examination process. An online boater remarked "its not worth the paper it's written on". Coupled with Steve the mechanics comments about how easy it is to circumvent the electrical side of BSS, it does look like a very flimsy piece of legislation.

The insurers wanted to see it. So did BW, and EA. but it was almost completely worthless. Just a rubber stamp, a fee, and a shiny hologram which keeps officialdom happy.