Planing means paperwork: electric boat rules in Denmark

Denmark is a country of islands, sounds and short hops between harbours. Nowhere is far from the sea, and on a summer weekend the water fills up with everything from dinghies to RIBs.

The rules are simple for slow boats and strict for fast ones. Displacement boats under 15 m need no licence. The moment a boat planes, or a rider stands on something with a motor, Denmark wants a certificate, insurance and distance from the shore.

That last part matters for electric toys. Denmark is one of the few countries we know of that names electric surfboards and jet boards in its jet ski rules.

Paddle out under 15 m: no licence for slow boats

For recreational craft under 15 m, there is no general requirement for formal competence. A displacement boat with an electric outboard needs no licence.

Above 15 m, the rules change. Boats of 15 to 24 m need a master and a mate with certificates of competency, at a level that depends on where you sail. From 24 m, the Danish Maritime Authority sets the manning case by case.

Planing boats: the speedboat certificate

Here is the set wave in Danish rules. A speedbådsbevis, a speedboat certificate, is required for:

• planing boats under 15 m whose hull length and propulsion power fall within the criteria in the speedboat order,
• planing craft under 4 m with 19 kW or more.

A planing hull, for this purpose, is one without a true keel, with a V-shaped or flat bottom aft, or designed to lift partly out of the water at speed. The speedboat order sets the length and power combinations in an annex. The rule turns on hull and power, not on fuel, so a fast electric RIB is treated like a petrol one.

The driver must be at least 16. Visitors on foreign-flagged boats need only what their flag state requires, according to the RYA.

Jet skis and electric boards: same certificate

A vandscooterbevis, a jet ski certificate, is required to ride a jet ski in Denmark. The Danish Maritime Authority says the rule covers similar craft too, naming electric surfboards, jet boards and motorised SUP boards.

• The minimum age to get the certificate is 16.
• You must carry it on the water.
• Visitors riding a Danish-registered craft need the same certificate.

Where you may ride:

• Not within 300 m of the coast, except straight out or in at under 5 knots.
• Not in nature reserves, conservation areas or wildlife reserves.
• Not where local harbour rules forbid it. The Port of Copenhagen bans jet skis.

For electric toys, that means no buzzing along the beach on a board, however quiet it is. Head 300 m out, then ride.

Insurance: no cover, no session

Speedboats under 15 m, jet skis and similar craft must have third-party liability insurance covering injury and damage. If the craft is not insured, it may not be used. The rider carries proof of insurance.

The rule also applies to foreign-flagged craft. Cross-border insurance is one way to meet it.

Lakes and local locals

Lakes, rivers and harbours can have their own rules, set by municipalities and other authorities. One example is Furesø, north of Copenhagen, where motor boating needs a Naturstyrelsen permit. There are about 400 permits, 30 of them for electric boats, two-strokes are banned and the speed limit is 8 knots.

The list of waters we have found is in our register of electric-only waters in Denmark.

Alcohol and safety: avoid the wipeout

Denmark set a limit of 0.5 per mille for commercial shipping and for the largest and fastest recreational craft, according to a 2009 report of the rule. We could not confirm how it applies to small, slow boats today from an official source. Do not drink and drive a boat of any kind.

Charging after the session

Denmark has few public boat chargers so far. See the charging map for Denmark and our guide on how to charge an electric boat.

Our verdict: slow and simple, fast and formal

So, how does Denmark treat electric boaters? A slow electric boat has an easy life: no licence, no insurance requirement and a whole archipelago to explore.

Fast craft and electric toys are another story. If your boat planes, check it against the speedboat order. If you stand or sit on something with a motor, from a jet ski to an electric surfboard, get the vandscooterbevis, buy the insurance and stay 300 m off the beach.

For the same rules elsewhere, see boat licence rules across Europe and personal watercraft rules in Europe.