6 The proposal for a small boat register
On request from the Government, the Norwegian Maritime Authority has evaluated whether “an obligatory small boat register” should be established. The result of this is two reports, delivered in June 2023. The first one recommends an obligatory duty to register all ships (craft) used in trade with a length less than 15 meters, all pleasure craft with a hull length of 4.5 meters or more, and all pleasure crafts below 4.5 meters length that have an engine output exceeding 25KP/19kW. Further, a special small boat register is proposed. The second report addresses rules for such a register and its location. Co-operation with the existing ship registers is recommended. A special “Act on Registration of Ships/Craft used in Trade or for Pleasure with Length less than 15 Meters” is proposed, with commentaries relating to the 20 sections contained in the draft.
For the sake of simplicity, the word ‘boat’ is used in the following.
We shall here limit ourselves to some words on the relationship to registration in NOR. The proposed small boat register does not have as its purpose the registration of rights. First of all, it shall serve public interests:
“The register shall give better information on ownership to small boats and on the boat itself, so that one can more easily clarify escape actions, prevent criminality, take care of the environment and climate interests etc.”
Section 4 has rules on the duty of registration:
“The following boats to be used in Norwegian territorial waters, river or lake and having permanent connection to Norway shall be registered in a national register:
boats used in trade
pleasure boats with hull length of 4.5 meters or more
pleasure boats with engine output over 25hp/19kW.
Pleasure boats that are not required to register, may be registered if they are used in Norwegian territorial waters, river or lake and have permanent connection to Norway.
The duty to register does not apply to boats that are registered in the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register. The Ministry can give supplementary rules on the duty to register in the regulated form.”
Thus, the rules in MC on registration are not affected if the small boat register proposal is made law. The boat owner will be relieved to some extent of his duty to register in the small boat register, see the proposed Section 4 paragraph three on exemption, if already registered in NOR, but the owner is not prevented from having his boat in both registers.