There’s a lot to think about when you’re buying a second-hand boat, so it’s easy to forget something. One thing you should always check for is a measurement form, as it can save headaches later.

For some World Sailing classes, Australian Sailing is the certifying authority. This means that we issue measurement certificates in accordance with the class rules, the Equipment Rules of Sailing and the Racing Rules of Sailing.

In these classes, the class rules say that a boat’s measurement certificate becomes invalid upon change of ownership. As the new owner you’ll need to apply for a new measurement certificate, and to do that you need a complete measurement form.

Note that the measurement form is not the same as a measurement certificate. The measurement form is completed by an accredited measurer who records the boat’s critical measurements, such as weight. It is usually several pages long and should stay with the boat throughout its life.

A measurement certificate is a document issued by the certification authority (that is, Australian Sailing) which includes the owner’s details and some key information about the boat. It is a single page document which is invalidated by change of ownership.

So, you must have the measurement form in order to apply for a measurement certificate. What if you’ve already bought a boat without a measurement form?

The first step is to email sportservices@sailing.org.au, as we keep a copy of the measurement form for every boat for which we’ve issued a certificate. We’ll check through our records and, if you’re lucky, we’ll have a copy on file.

Otherwise, for most classes, you’ll need to take the boat to an Official Class Measurer to have them re-measure the boat and complete a new measurement form. You can then use that form to apply for a measurement certificate.

For Optimists, the process is slightly different. You first need to buy a new Optimist Registration and Measurement Book from the International Optimist Dinghy Association, which costs $50 USD at time of writing. To buy a new book, email info@optiworld.org and attach photos of the blue World Sailing plaque and the numbers etched into the bow. Once you have the new book, you will need to have the boat re-weighed by an Official Class Measurer (unlike other classes, it does not need to be completely re-measured).

To read more about measurement certificates, click here.

To apply for a certificate, click here.

By Michael Arnold.