In just over two months, the Boat DIGEST project, which started in autumn 2013 will finish. The outcomes and findings of this initiative will be presented during the final conference in Brussels on 23 September this year (you will find more details about the event below). In the meantime, we bring you the most recent developments: four sets of “Guidelines” and an e-learning platform. The “Guidelines”, now published on the website, are targeted to various audiences and offer some information and advice on end-of-life craft related issues, while the e-learning platform contains training and awareness contents for dismantlers and boat owners, respectively. We invite you to visit our website and help us test the “modules” we have come up with. Finally, we report about the latest “green” developments in France.

You’re invited to test the e-learning platform for boat owners & dismantlers

Awareness module for boat owners and stakeholders

The e-platform for boat owners and stakeholders, such as marinas and boating schools, presents an awareness module that looks into the problem of abandoned vessels and the risks they might cause to the environment. A series of questions (FAQs) with some answers can be found here to give owners quick solutions to their daily problems with obsolete craft. To access the awareness module, go to www.boatdigest.eu and find it in the upper right corner of the website. This module doesn’t require a registration, unlike the module for dismantlers.

The module lasts about 1,5h and aims at raising awareness among boat owners about the end-of-life boat related issues and their own responsibility. It addresses the problem at the EU level and informs about different existing options, such as disposal, recycling, selling or refitting the boat. The module approaches different steps of the dismantling process and gives information on waste professionals and facilities. Finally, it tackles economic, social and environmental impacts of an abandoned craft, including the causes, consequences as well as control and mitigation measures.

VET (vocational & educational training) module for boat dismantlers

The module for dismantlers (4 units) focuses on practical aspects of dismantling and recycling, how to do it safely to avoid any harm to workers or the environment. This part is now ready as a pilot experience. Take a look below, how to get involved!

This module is more complex and consists of 4 units, listed below:

Recreational Craft Recycling - Administrative and Financial Issues
It contains information about: legal requirements for recreational craft dismantling facilities; administrative procedures for recreational craft register and decommissioning certificates; economic analysis for end-of-life recreational craft dismantling, as well as recreational craft dismantling network, exercise and questions. The objective is to be able to: explain legal requirements and administrative procedures related to recreational craft dismantling and how to develop economic analysis for each end-of-life recreational craft in order to assess the feasibility and cost.

Step-by-Step Sustainable Recreational Craft Recycling
The objective is to be able to: identify and describe stages of boat dismantling procedures and apply these procedures; prepare a boat dismantling plan for safe and sustainable recycling; as well as be able to handle in an appropriate way various tools and equipment used in boat dismantling.

Risk Assessment Methods for Recreational Craft Dismantling
By the end of this unit, a worker / manager should be able to identify the hazards in the boat dis-mantling task; learn why it is essential to conduct a risk assessment. The unit provides information on the hazards and their types, such as noise, vibration, machinery, electrical hazard, fire, hazardous materials.

Use of PPE (personal protective equipment) in Recreational Craft Dismantling Procedures
By the end of this unit, a candidate should be able to describe why the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) is important and what the legal requirements to wear it are; identify which PPEs are needed every day and in special situations; learn how to wear PPE correctly.

How to take part in the e-pilot experience for dismantlers:

• Go to www.boatdigest.eu
• Open the training programmes in the upper right corner of the screen & choose the dismantlers modules
• Start with registration and initial test for the module (the initial assessment is there to define your baseline knowledge), then you can proceed with the training and final assessment
• Register with an email address
• After finishing the training, fill up the final assessment and press the "send" button

A step by step overview of the online platform:

1. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE:
The initial test, training and final assessment will be open to everyone from the end of July until the beginning of September and will determine the user’s level of knowledge and experience and the values obtained from the training.
2. PILOT EVALUATION:
All the tests received will be evaluated. Corrections and improvements will be made to finalise the training module if necessary.
3. EVALUATION & VALIDATION:
Anyone completing the online training will have his/her results assessed and when reaching the minimum level to pass, he/she will receive a diploma, since the training for dismantlers is certified and accredited as VET (vocational & educational training) by University of Strathclyde.
4. CONTINUOUS EDUCATION:
Both awareness module and online dismantlers training modules will be available on the Boat DIGEST website for users and dismantlers for 5 years (until 2020).

Boat DIGEST guidelines on how to handle the boat’s end-of-life

The Boat DIGEST project identified a general lack of information available about boat’s end-of-life and what could / should be done by the various actors concerned. To address this, Boat DIGEST now released four different sets of “Guidelines” which contain an overview of the problems caused by the end-of-life boats and offer advice to the various groups.

The “Guidelines” were recently published on the project’s website http://www.boatdigest.eu/products-and-materials.asp in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish translations will be available shortly. They target various audiences such as boat owners and nautical associations, marinas and leisure harbours, repair & refit companies, and boating schools. The “Guidelines” explain the situation of the end-of-life boats and offer information on the actions that can be taken by these four groups and the role they play in raising boat owners’ awareness about the issue.

Understanding the safety and environmental risks and raising awareness among all players in the boating world is crucial to efficiently tackle the complex issue of boats’ end-of-life. The “Guidelines” aim to serve as an information tool, they also touch upon the current boat owners’ practices and stress the fact most of them are against abandoning the craft.. The “Guidelines” can be freely distributed to all interested parties, as long as they are not modified in their current format.
In order to help owners and other interested parties easily find both boat dismantling facilities and the national contact point responsible for boat dismantling activities, a regularly updated map has been set up and is available here: http://www.boatdigest.eu/dismantling-network.asp

The released document also advises all interested parties to follow closely the activities of the European Boating Association Working Group on End-of-Life Recreational Craft created in 2012, focused on both environmentally sustainable activities and economically-related issues.
For more information, please write to contact@boatdigest.eu

France announces setting up new financing model for boat dismantling

As a result of cooperation between the French government, the Parliament and boating professionals, the French nautical association FIN (Fédération des industries nautiques) recently announced the agreement reached on a new innovative and efficient financing model for boat dismantling in France.

In its announcement, FIN explains that boat dismantling activities in France will be able to tap on two distinct sources of funding, which take into account specifics of the boating sector, such as the long life of boats (30 to 60 years). On one hand, an “eco-participation” will be charged on the sales of newly built boats placed on the French market from 1 January 2017 onwards (such fees used to finance the future recycling of products are common throughout Europe for a number of domestic goods like TVs, fridges, etc.) The other part will be partly financed from the annual gross revenues stemming from the French annual boat tax (also known as “DAFN – droits annuels de francisation et de navigation”), used in particular to finance the dismantling of existing vessels as well as those abandoned in French waters.

The new provisions are expected to further develop the boat dismantling scheme voluntarily set up by FIN with the creation of APER (Association pour la Plaisance Eco-Responsable), one of Boat DIGEST partners, in 2009. Last year only, the APER network dismantled about 400 boats. As the new system will be used to finance the dismantling of abandoned vessels too, it is expected the number of dismantled vessels could grow close to 3,000 units per year from 2017 onwards. This new measure offers a concrete and balanced solution for the financing of disposal of recreational craft without penalizing the French boating market.

http://www.aper.asso.fr/web/portal/website/content/modules/event/index.do?websiteId=1&navigableId=448

Join us for final conference in Brussels

It is our pleasure to invite you to the final conference of the Boat DIGEST project during which the achievements of this EU-funded initiative will be presented. The conference will take place on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 from 10:00 to 14:00 in Brussels (Belgium).

The draft programme is available at www.europeanboatingindustry.eu (News section) you can register now by writing to contact@boatdigest.eu