{"id":36702,"date":"2025-09-07T11:51:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T09:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/?p=36702"},"modified":"2026-05-28T18:15:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:15:51","slug":"what-exactly-do-the-ce-certifications-stand-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/what-exactly-do-the-ce-certifications-stand-for\/","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly Do the CE Certifications Stand For"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" src=\"http:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Does-a-RIB-Exist-with-CE-A-Certification-Mine-has-B_kader.jpg\" alt=\"Does a RIB Exist with CE A Certification? Mine has B @ RIBs NLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat\" class=\"wp-image-36720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Does-a-RIB-Exist-with-CE-A-Certification-Mine-has-B_kader.jpg 853w, https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Does-a-RIB-Exist-with-CE-A-Certification-Mine-has-B_kader-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Does-a-RIB-Exist-with-CE-A-Certification-Mine-has-B_kader-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">AI generated illustration. checked<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Certification Mandatory Since <strong>June 16th 1998<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of our Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) are certified in CE Category B (offshore) or CE Category C (inshore\/coastal). Do you know yours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what do these categories actually mean for their safety, performance, and intended use on the water?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Do the CE Certifications Mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the <a href=\"https:\/\/single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu\/sectors\/maritime-industries\/recreational-craft-sector\/what-commission-doing_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EU Recreational Craft Directive<\/a> (RCD), the categories are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CE Category A \u2013 Ocean<\/strong>: designed for ocean use under extreme wave and wind conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CE Category B \u2013 Offshore<\/strong>: for offshore use in rough conditions, but not as extreme as Category A.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CE Category C \u2013 Coastal \/ inland waters<\/strong>: for lakes, rivers, and short coastal trips.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CE Category D \u2013 Sheltered waters<\/strong>: for rivers, canals, and calm sheltered areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A RIB is an open vessel with inflatable sides and usually an exposed console.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of this, it typically does not meet the structural requirements for Category A. Such as permanent enclosed accommodation and very robust construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Product Examples Show<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many shipyards explicitly list CE C certification, for example 6 m RIBs made of fiberglass, aluminium and <a href=\"https:\/\/orcaretail.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hypalon<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some RIBs may carry a CE B (offshore) certificate, but category A is &#8220;never&#8221; mentioned.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In general, suppliers highlight CE compliance, but not specifically CE A.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why CE A is Rare (or Nonexistent) for RIBs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most RIBs lack a closed cabin or strong enclosed hull structures required for independent ocean-going safety.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The CE A (Ocean) rating is the strictest under the EU\u2019s Recreational Craft Directive, meaning the vessel is built for long voyages in severe conditions. Withstanding winds over Beaufort 8 (40+ knots) and wave heights above 4 m (13 ft). Tip: Check out my detailed article on <a href=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wind-waves-swell-beaufort-vs-douglas-sea-scale\/\">wind and sea state<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Certification to CE A involves stricter design and testing standards, often with classification bodies like <a href=\"https:\/\/group.bureauveritas.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bureau Veritas<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lr.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lloyd\u2019s Register<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlike sailing yachts or motor yachts, RIBs are designed for speed, versatility, and coastal operations, not for extended ocean passages (<a href=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/crossing-the-atlantic-1\/\">daredevils do<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There are no standard RIBs with CE Category A<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most are CE Category C (coastal) or B (offshore).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are specifically looking for a CE A certified craft, you would need to look at closed-cabin motorboats or yachts designed for true ocean use. Check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nolimitships.com\/en\/yachts\/no-limit-15-50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">No Limit 15.50<\/a> as an example.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proud to share that <a href=\"https:\/\/en.orcaretail.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ORCA Retail<\/a> is a Friend of RIBs ONLY.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Certification Mandatory Since June 16th 1998 Most of our Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) are certified in CE Category B (offshore) or CE Category C (inshore\/coastal). Do you know yours? But what do these categories actually mean for their safety, performance, and intended use on the water? What Do the CE Certifications Mean? Under the EU Recreational Craft Directive (RCD), the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[66,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to","category-video"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36702\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}