Do you need a trade/ licence to build a boat?

[pubic1]

Hi all.

How big are you planning on building?

Im currently looking into designing / building my own 5.6 - 6m fishing boat at the moment also.

As far as I have found, every boat requires an Australian Builders Plate (ABP) to be able to be registered.

The link here -> http://www.anzsbeg.com.au/files/6413...al_-_Jan11.pdf shows helpful information if your looking at deisgning your own.

On the second page, in point 6, it states:

6. Who can determine the information on an ABP?
The information on an ABP must be determined by a competent person.
A competent person is defined as a person who has acquired through training,
qualification, experience, or a combination of these, the knowledge and skills
enabling that person to competently determine the information on a builders plate.
The competent person is either:
•
The builder;
•
The importer; or
•
A third-party competent person.
In general, a commercial boat builder is deemed to be a competent person for the
purpose of the ABP standard.

In the case of an owner-builder or importer, they may
not meet the definition of a competent person, in which case a third-party competent
person may need to be engaged to determine the information.

Where this occurs, the
name of the third-party competent person should be shown on the ABP, along with
that of the builder or importer.

In some States, the Marine Safety Agency maintains a list of approved third-parties
who can act as a competent person for the purpose of complying with the ABP
standard.
Any person whose name appears on the plate is assuming responsibility for the
information on that plate.
Examples
•
Built by Sunhope Boats, Australia
•
Imported by RayStan Holdings, Australia
•
Information approved by E.R. Smith, Naval Architect, Sydney, Aust.



Point 10 states :

10. If a boat has a HIN number, does it also need an ABP?
Yes
The hull identification number (HIN) and the Australian Builders Plate
(ABP) serve different purposes and provide different information. The
requirement to put an ABP on a boat is in addition to any existing
requirements relating to HIN.


Which state are you from?
It may pay to ask your marine agency a few more questions about what you need to do before getting too far into any build.

I'm still yet to check with the different insurance companies about what they offer for owner - designers - builders.

[Moejoes]

$450 ebay welder with spool gun this welder goes by the name "LOTOS MIG" on ebay

welding 6mm and 1.6mm aluminum than a video of the 6mm weld breaking with a sledge hammer

we are talking possibly a $50 made welder here in china

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQQvvZT_1M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJnM5tew6Jk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2i3ehc7zHE

Good luck trying to get that gun in those tight to get places to do a weld.
Pretty impressive weld for what it is tho.
Duty cycle is probably low, so you'll be waiting around lengthy periods of time for it to cool down.

Just remember when welding the hull you should weld the inside first, then cut back into the welds with a grinder on the outside so you have a clean weld with no pits or holes, then fully weld from the outside.
I done 300mm odd reverse welds at a time back into the other weld but cut back into the previous weld with grinder to ensure no weak points.
This will ensure you have a clean solid double weld at the seams of your hull with no weak spots.
Applies more to 4mm plus aluminium on larger boats.
I wouldn't bother on 3mm in my opinion as you should get enough penetration to fuse the aluminium together depending on welder.

I looked at the Pulse Migs and trialled them and found I was a much better welder using a conventional mig.
Ended up with a Weldmaster 250 Single Phase with remote wire feed.
Duty cycle cut out once in the whole build when welding all the 5mm as I had it running flat out, other than that it did the job.
The trick is to keep heat to a minimum to eliminate too much heat build up which will cause the aluminium sheet to buckle and warp.

I built mine, as I wanted it setup my way and to tick it off my bucket list.
2100hrs ( 2 1/2 years ) went into building an 8 meter boat, build trailer, paint and fit out, working many nights & weekends on my own.
All personal hours I will never get back whilst everyone was out fishing , but can say at least I've done it

Good luck with your ventures.