Licensing
Licensing
From harbour and canal licences to COF renewals, we manage all your legal requirements so you never have to worry about the paperwork. We'll get you set up on Vessel Pass, giving you access to your documents with the click of a button — making renewals seamless and ensuring you never miss an expiry again.
CERTIFICATE OF FITNESS (COF)
You are not permitted to operate a water vessel in South Africa without a valid Certificate of Fitness (COF) in respect of that vessel. This means your boat or jet ski has to comply with certain regulations and inspections. Your vessel must be surveyed (inspected) annually and issued a Certificate of Fitness (COF) by either a SAMSA surveyor or a safety officer appointed by an authorised agency. To pass the inspection, you must have the correct safety equipment and a valid buoyancy certificate (expires every five years). Safety equipment requirements are divided into categories (B, C, D, E and R) depending on where you will be using your vessel.
BUOYANCY CERTIFICATE
The term “buoyancy” is used to refer to the bottles and/or foam placed inside your boat in order to maintain flotation in a damaged or flooded state. A buoyancy certificate is required for you to obtain a valid Certificate of Fitness (along with the necessary safety equipment). Buoyancy certificates are valid for five years from date of issue.
RIVER & CANAL LICENSES
In order to use the canals or river in St Francis Bay, you are required to purchase a license. The price of these licenses varies depending on if you will be using the river and/or the canals.
For example:
• If you will be using a jet ski or boat on the canals, you will need a canal license.
• If you will be using your boat on the river and the canals, then you will need a canal and river license.
• Jet skis are not permitted on the river.
These licenses are only valid for one year (from 1 July to 30 June); however, temporary licenses are also available. A valid Certificate of Fitness is required to purchase these licenses.
We can help you apply for your COF, re-issue your buoyancy certificate and renew your river and/or canal licenses – just call us on +27 (042) 294 1500, pop us an email
or click here to complete the online form and we will get in touch.
You can also visit www.samsa.org.za for more information.
If you need us, feel free to contact us