An Australian Builders Plate (ABP) is a plate attached to recreational boats that displays basic safety information for consumers.
Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has begun auditing boat builders and Australian Builders Plate competent persons to check their compliance with the fifth edition of the National Standard for the Australian Builders Plate for Recreational Boats.
Boat builders and competent persons are asked to provide details about how they determine the input information for, and then execute, their ABP calculations. They are also required to submit calculations for 3 of their boat models.
The purpose of the audit is to ensure ABPs attached to recreational boats sold in Queensland provide accurate information to help potential owners choose the right boat for their requirements.
A correct ABP also helps boat owners and masters meet their safety obligations with respect to maximum powering and maximum person and total load capacity for appropriate operating conditions.
For boats less than 6m in length the ABP also provides the swamped flotation capacity. That is, whether the boat has basic or level flotation.
