Technical inspection of boats (ITB)

Certificate of Airworthiness / Certificate of Registration

This document certifies the aptitude of the boat to be used. Any reference to the Certificate of Airworthiness is equally applicable to the Certificate of Registration, both being equivalent for inspection purposes.

The Certificate, stamped by the collaborating inspection entity, is the document that accredits the maritime authority, users, clients, insurance companies, etc. that the boat has passed the mandatory surveys designed to guarantee SAFETY AT SEA.

The Certificate (...) must always be carried on board. If requested by the competent authorities and said Certificate is not found on board, a period of five working days will be available, counted from the request, to justify to them the existence and validity of the Certificate on the date on which the request was made. request. (RD 1434/1999 Art. 4.3).

The owners of pleasure boats will be responsible for keeping the Certificates up to date… (RD 1434/1999 Art. 4.4)
Serious infractions (...) are navigation without a Certificate (...), or doing so with said Certificate expired. (RD 1434/1999 Art.12.a) and the performance of transformation works or change of engine without the corresponding authorization or with infringement of the regulations that regulate it (RD 1434/1999 Art. 12.b)

They are very serious infractions (...) the navigation of recreational and sports boats that, lacking the appropriate Certificate (...), do not also meet the proper conditions of navigability, endangering their safety. (RD 1434/1999 Art. 13.a).

Before purchasing a boat already registered in spain, check if you have a valid navigability certificate or registration certificate.

Development of acknowledgments in an ITB

It is advisable that the owner take advantage of the boat's grounding due to the renovation of the antifouling paint to pass the mandatory inspection.

The inspector will check the good condition of the hull, propulsion installation, electrical installation, deck and tanks – in addition to rigging if it has one – and that the boat has the mandatory safety equipment on board.

The vessel must have the aforementioned Certificate, or failing that, other documentation that proves its registration in the Merchant Marine. The documents that prove your registration in the Merchant Marine are, for example, the Entry Sheet of the Ship Registry, the Navigation License, the "Certificate of Registration - Navigation Permit", the Ship Inspection Certificate (C.I.B.), the “Certificate of Construction by Units” and the “Role of Dispatch and Staffing”.

It is not necessary to wait for the expiration of the Certificate to carry out the inspection, since, if the inspection is brought forward a maximum of 6 months, the new expiration date will be counted from the previous expiration date.

Mandatory safety equipment and material on board pleasure boats

The equipment and material, regulated by Royal Decree 339/2021, depend on the navigation area, the length of the boat and the motorization installed on board, including auxiliary motors (you can consult it in the DOWNLOADS section).

The Navigation Zones currently established are:

• Zone 1: Unlimited browsing
• Zone 2: Navigation less than 60 miles from the coastline.
• Zone 3: Navigation less than 25 miles from the coastline.
• Zone 4: Navigation less than 12 miles from the coastline.
• Zone 5: Navigation less than 5 miles from a shelter or accessible beach.
• Zone 6: Navigation less than 2 miles from a shelter or accessible beach.
• Zone 7: Navigation in protected coastal waters, ports, roadsteads, estuaries, sheltered bays and protected waters in general.
  
  

The Navigation Zone (assigned by the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine based on the safety equipment) should not be confused with the Design Category (assigned by the manufacturer based on the wind and sea conditions for which the boat is designed). The one that appears on the license plate of your boat is the latter.
Depending on the Design Category of the vessel, the admissible navigation areas are:

• Category A: Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• Category B: Zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• Category C: Zones 4, 5, 6, 7
• Category D: Zone 7
  
  

Recognition result in an ITB

Depending on the state of the boat and its equipment, the result can be:

• SATISFACTORY: You can navigate within the term of validity of the Certificate…. (RD 1434/1999 Art. 10.1).
• FAVORABLE WITH MINOR DEFICIENCIES: You can navigate within the validity period of the Certificate (...), but you must solve them before sailing, without having to pass a second inspection.
• UNFAVORABLE: The Certificate will not be renewed.
  If the result of the inspection is unfavorable, the collaborating inspection entity will grant a maximum period of TWO MONTHS pto correct the anomalies detected. (RD 1434/1999 Art. 10.2)
• NEGATIVE: The Certificate will not be renewed and it will also be communicated to the Maritime Captaincy. (RD 1434/1999 Art.10.3)
  
  
  

Remember that you must request the following acknowledgment before the expiry date of the certificate.