15. MCA Category 0 Explained: The Story Behind Grey Wolf II, the FPB 78 Built to Go Anywhere - Berthon International Yacht Brokerage

In this episode we step aboard the remarkable Grey Wolf II (FPB 78-2) to explore a subject that is rarely discussed outside professional circles: MCA Category 0 certification, the highest operational coding available under the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Owner Peter Watson joins the conversation to explain why he insisted that she be built and operated to this demanding standard, even though it created extra work for the designer, the shipyard, and almost everyone involved in the project.

Grey Wolf II is the only FPB yacht in the fleet to hold MCA Category 0 coding, allowing her to operate commercially anywhere in the world, without restriction to distance from a safe haven. For Peter, however, the motivation was not charter income. The goal was much simpler: safety and capability.

As Peter explains, the MCA code has evolved over decades and incorporates lessons learned about stability, structural integrity, systems redundancy, and operational procedures. Achieving Category 0 status means a yacht has been designed and equipped to meet an extremely high standard of offshore safety.

The discussion also looks at the new MCA coding requirements being introduced for 2027, which significantly raise the bar for vessels seeking or maintaining commercial certification. Grey Wolf II is currently being updated to meet the revised standard, a process that involves both physical upgrades and extensive documentation.

Some of the modifications include replacing existing composite seacocks with custom stainless steel valves, installing additional electrical redundancy to ensure navigation lights remain operational even during total power loss, and adding new system shut-off controls and operational protocols.

Beyond the engineering work, the updated code also introduces new administrative requirements, from cyber security policies to expanded safety management documentation. While the upgrades themselves are manageable for a yacht built with serious offshore capability in mind, the paperwork required to demonstrate compliance is considerable.

Grey Wolf II’s ability to pass the new standards relatively smoothly is also a testament to the original design philosophy behind the FPB series and the work carried out during her construction in New Zealand in collaboration with designer Steve Dashew.

Having already cruised extensively across the Pacific, visited remote regions including Antarctica, and completed long-distance voyages in both tropical and polar environments, she has proven herself as a genuine go-anywhere expedition yacht. Her next adventure: a family holiday, a Mediterranean cruising season, travelling through the islands of Greece with children and grandchildren aboard.

It is a reminder that despite her formidable capability, she remains at heart a family cruising yacht, equally comfortable exploring the polar regions or enjoying relaxed voyages in the Mediterranean.

In a world where many yachts are built for appearance or occasional coastal cruising, she stands apart as a vessel designed, built, and certified to operate anywhere on the planet.

Episode 11. Grey Wolf FPB78-2 Adventures from the Pacific to Antarctica – Building the Ultimate Expedition Yacht - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528535/episodes/18323395

Inside the FPB 78 GREY WOLF II MCA Category 0 Seacock Refit | Owner Interview - https://youtu.be/t4KlacOkbO4

Inside the FPB 78 GREY WOLF II MCA Category 0 Seacock Refit | Walkthrough Tour - https://youtu.be/reEV2V16IKU

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:33

Today we're doing a podcast about the lovely Grey Wolf 2, FPB 78 2, with her owner Peter Watson. We're talking about the glamorous subject of MCA category zero. Grey Wolf is the only member of the FPB fleet to have this coding and it'd be really interesting, Peter, to hear why it was that you upset the designer, boatyard, and everybody else by insisting that your yacht should be Cat Zero.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

I think it's very simple basically that the MCA has been around for years. They are a bit of a boring organisation, but over the years of experience they've made sure that stability, which is probably one of the major issues, and a number of other things are built into boats that are cat zero. And I wanted to go anywhere in the world. And with a cat zero boat, I can.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Yeah. And and so how important was charter? I guess that wasn't the primary thing, was it? It was the safety.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

No, charter was not. It was a sort of add-on that we thought we could do, and we have done some as a result of having a boat that's cat zero, but it was it was I wanted ultimately an extremely safe boat that was designed to go anywhere, anyway.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

And you did that brilliant charter in Antarctica, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01 1:53

That must have been great fun. Oh, it was fantastic. Um, it's absolutely unique. Um, and also uh we took the old grey wolf up north as well.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Yeah, of course. Yeah, of course. So you did. Yeah, okay. So of course the MCA, in order to make things a bit more of a challenge, um, they've upgraded their code for 2027. And um I know because we have the shipyard here in Lymington, that there are a number of commercial yachts who have or commercial boats, um, as well as yachts who are finding the new regulations quite testing. Um so um it's not just structure, it's lots of form filling too, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Huge amount of form filling. Um but fundamentally Grey Wolf can pass or will be passing that code. Um we've done some lovely things.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

She's already passed the current one, hasn't she? She's already in code, but now she's now she's the new um, you know, diamond encrusted code.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Yes. Um she's passed NGN 280. Uh we're in the final throes of her passing the new code.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Okay. Okay, so she's been to Berthon with the for these wonderful new Seacocks because she had plastic seacocks, which um are absolutely fine, but the MCA now wanted metal ones, so we had to have um stainless steel ones fabricated, custom uh stainless steel um valves fabricated for Grey Wolf. Um, and uh she's just left us. But I know that uh whilst that was reassuringly expensive, it was only part of what you did, and I can see um when I was on the boat last week um that there are a huge amount of um post-it notes and and and all sorts of stuff that you're doing. So can we just walk through some of the other stuff outside the Seacocks?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yeah, sure. Um well if we start at the four peak, um we had to put an electric valve in to be able to shut off the water coming to the air conditioning. That was relatively simple but just takes some work. Um the boat needed to be lifted for that. Um, and then as we walk back, um obviously in the engine room, we had the new lovely shiny stainless steel valves on everything. Uh we're doing some modification to the electrics to make sure that the navigation lights can stay on for up to three hours, even if the boat loses power. Seriously? Yeah, we already had um backup batteries for the communications, um, so that that was part of it. Uh we're doing a number of other other things, small smaller things, um, but to make it compliant. Um but the main main effort, probably apart from that, um, which is actually quite a big uh shout, um, is getting all the paperwork up together to make her compliant with that. Fortunately, when we did MGN 280, we probably overdid it. Um, and so we're just pulling out a lot of paperwork that we already have, updating it and making sure. Uh the most amusing thing I feel slightly is the cyber prevention policy that we have to have. So we've been busy writing. Seriously, yeah. Um considering that most of our equipment fortunately is not connected to the internet, um, it it's not actually a difficult task.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

My goodness. And so, but but so all of the other are there a lot of new protocols that you now have to observe?

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Yes, um there's a pile of protocols that are in our ISM um which we have to observe to make sure that we comply. None of which is difficult, but it's a lot of administration to make sure that we're compliant. But I think the physic that the physical hull of the boat was built with the intention of going places, and the great thing is, with a little bit of modification, it's fine for the new code. And I can't believe there are many boats out there that would pass the new code that easily.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Well, you know, I mean I think that is that is the big thing, and I think that it shows how tough it is because Grey Wolf is an astonishing go-anywhere boat, and she she's done an awful lot. And you know, these seacocks, it's not just sticking in some seacocks, it's it's a lot of re-engineering and all that kind of stuff and metalwork to do it. But um we've certainly seen boats which are no longer able to meet the code, and a lot of boats are looking forward to operating until 2027, and um I think that it takes the standard up three or four or five notches, and I have to say that I think there are a number of um explorers that are being built today that are never going to meet that code.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

Yeah, it's certainly challenging, I think. Um, but again, have to say uh that you know I'm really pleased that Grey Wolf is able to meet that code, and it I think it's a reflection on what was built in New Zealand with Steve Dashow in the early days, um, even though I was a bit of a pain to him.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Yeah, I mean, and I uh um I've told him about uh this new 2027 code, and uh, you know, his sort of eyebrows raised heavenwards, but I think he was actually really pleased that uh Grey Wolf just I mean, uh basically she's flown through. Yeah. So now you've got her, now you've done all the form filling and everything else. She's done the Pacific, she's d been everywhere, she's done the cold places, she's done the tropics, da da da da. What next for um the lovely Grey Wolf?

SPEAKER_01 8:16

We are going to take her down to um the Med and go all the way to Greece. Have you done that before? No, never done that before, so that's a unique unique um trip for me. And that's going to be fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

And that's a family holiday, or series of family holidays. Series of family holidays. With grandchildren and all and lots of and and lots of uh fun and stuff happening.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Absolutely, and a chance to look at some beautiful islands in in the Med um all the way up to Greece.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

I mean, one of the things I love about Grey Wolf is although you know she's FPB 78, she's 83 feet overall, she's got all this capability, she's still a family cruising yacht. Yeah. So you can still hop on with the family and uh go off and do amazing things, and she's easy to handle, she's easy to get in and out of places. So if you're not doing Antarctica or the Southern Ocean next year, you're still you you can use this yacht anywhere, and that's something that's quite special.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

It it is, I think there are very, very few yachts in the world that can go anywhere. Um, Grey Wolf is one of them, but there aren't many.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Yeah, no, I think you're absolutely right. So, a few words about Grey Wolf. Peter and I both love her. She is on the market, although I'm not sure what we're gonna do about another yacht for the uh Watson family because she's a really hard act to follow. So uh thank you very much for listening.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

And thank you very much, Sue, for the conversation. Thanks, Peter.