Yacht Certification

Is It Only About Size?

Did you ever wonder at the term ‘Yacht Certified’ when you see it listed in the ‘Capacity’ category for many Cobalt boats? If so, here’s what it’s really about, and it goes way beyond the number of people a boat can carry safely.

Boats, Yachts, and Ships

First, let’s start with the definition of a yacht, which is often described as a boat that’s 35 feet or more in length. At the extreme, a yacht can range in size to more than 200 feet, which also brings up the discussion of the difference between a boat and a ship (fun fact: the definition of a boat is that it leans into a turn, while ships heel outward in a turn.)

For our purposes, though, the term ‘yacht’ as used by the National Marine Manufacturing Association (NMMA) refers to boats that are 26 ft. or longer, which gets to the heart of why a pleasure-boat owner might want to know what goes into their yacht certification.

How the Yacht-Certified Placard Benefits You

“Yacht Certification” is a manufacturing quality standard implemented by the NMMA under a vetting process established by the American Boats & Yacht Council. The advantage of this for boat buyers – including Cobalt owners, of course, since every yacht-certified Cobalt model goes through NMMA recertification each year – is that many boat manufacturing processes are tested and inspected during manufacturing by a trained representative of a neutral, independent certifying body.

Comprising a physical inspection of critical safety items, from bilge pumps to fuel tanks, horns, lights and steering components, yacht certification shows that a manufacturer is committed to meeting and exceeding a higher quality standard.

The Comforts of Consistency

One immediate benefit of yacht certification is, of course, knowing these boats don’t have a defined passenger capacity. But there are other comforts of having a consistent set of certification standards.

Such as the fact that there are thousands of trained technicians who develop and oversee these tests, helping to ensure that any manufacturing issues can be immediately identified and resolved on the factory floor. Or that yacht-certified boats are 7 times less likely to experience a safety recall. Or that the yacht-certification program provides boat manufacturers with an established structure for tracking the customer experience, as well as participating in the Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Awards Program.

Built To A Higher Standard

In short, yacht certification is another way to ensure that Cobalt boats are built to the highest industry standards, so Cobalt owners can enjoy the level of superior, consistent quality that they – and we – expect.

If you’re interested in learning more about boatbuilding, we’re ready to help! Contact us with your question and we’ll be glad to share the answers with your fellow Cobalt owners!