What is a Design Category ?
All watercraft within the scope of both RCD & RCR Directives are assessed for compliance with the essential requirements and dependant on their design and construction, are allocated to one of four design categories based on wind force and significant wave height.

What is the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD)?
The Recreational Craft Directive is a European Directive, which sets minimum requirements of a boat and harmonises construction standards for watercraft, as well as regulates exhaust and noise emissions to achieve a uniform level of safety requirements in the design and manufacture of a recreational craft and guarantee its suitability for sale and use throughout the European Union and EEA (European Economic Area), with a CE certification.

What is the Recreation Craft regulation (RCR) category ?
Since 1998, the United Kingdom has required all recreational watercraft being placed on the market to meet the Recreational Craft directive and the UK’s transposition of the directive in UK law, the RCR. Following the UK’s departure from the European Union the RCR has been amended to meet the UK’s new independent status. From the 1st of January 2023 recreational craft placed on the market must meet the requirements of the RCR as amended, in order to be UKCA certified.

Can I fit a bigger engine on my boat than the builders plate states?
All our boats are carefully designed and constructed to meet a required performance. As such every model is given a maximum engine size which is not only determined by the hull design speed but also the boats intended loading and associated structure. The maximum engine size is also a key part of the recreational craft directive certification which each model is given. We do not recommend exceeding this engine size, which could cause adverse handling and potentially damage your boat. This  may also effect the insurance cover your have.

I’m not sure I'm getting the right performance from my boat, what can I do?
Many factors can influence the overall performance of your boat, including the sea conditions, however if you think your boat is generally underperforming compared to the design speed, a few things to firstly consider is the loading,  How much weight are you carrying ? and is the weight distributed evenly in your boat ie. not all to one side or at the stern. Also has the engine been set up and installed correctly?  Is the engine reaching the engine manufacturers recommended revs at full throttle? under or overrevving could be a sign of an incorrect pitched propellor, which can make a big difference to the overall boat performance.  We recommend you speak to your local engine dealer for further information.

Which Trailer should I buy for my Orkney
There are various different types of trailer available and depending on which model you have some may not be suitable. There are also a number of other considerations including the load carrying capacity, whether the trailer needs to be braked or unbraked and where and how the hull weight is supported, to avoid risk of damaging your boat. We recommend using an Orkney approved trailer which is designed and setup to fit your boat exactly.

How do I change my cuddy window rubber?
All of our heritage model cuddy’s have windows and rubber which can be easily changed. The windows acrylic is held in place with a special profile window rubber and insert, over time this window rubber can perish and may need to be removed and replaced. Replacement cuddy windows, window rubber and rubber insertion tools can all be purchased from our online spares store along with detailed instructions.

How do I carry out a gel repair on my boat?
All our models are built with a tinted or coloured gelcoat which are unique colours to Orkney boats. If you have damaged your gelcoat and wish to carry out a repair, we can supply a gel coat repair kit via our online shop, so that we can match the colour closely, we will need to know the model and the hull identification number. 

What should I do to winterise my boat?
If looking to layup and store your boat during the winter, we recommend that you carry out a few essential tasks. For details of winter service checks you should consult the owner operators manual provided with your boat.

How do I find out the age of my Orkney?
All Orkney Boats boats built since 1998 should have a red plate with a 14 -digit number starting with the prefix GB-ORK,  this can be found in the upper Starboard corner of the transom. This is the manufacturers Identify Code (MIC) - also referred to as HIN (Hull Identification number) and is unique to your Orkney.
 

The last two digits of which signify the model year and the 3rd to last digit is the year of manufacture

Your Orkney will also have a unique hull serial number with model prefix and yard number (eg. LL16 - 1234), which can be found embossed in the gelcoat located in the upper Port side corner on the transom.  

For older Orkney models built before 1998 without a HIN number you can email us directly with the Hull yard serial number and we will identify the age of your Orkney boat from our archive records.

Where can I buy spares and extras for my boat?
With over 15,000 Orkney Boats built to date, we are proudly committed  to continue to support our many Orkney owners new and old by offering an extensive list of spares , parts and accessories available to order from our online store or by contacting the Orkney aftersales team directly.

Visit Online Store