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1.1 This guide covers the determination of a small boat’s lightcraft characteristics. The air incline stability test can be considered two separate tasks; a deadweight survey and an air-inclining experiment. The stability test is recommended, but not required, for all small craft upon their construction completion and/or after major conversions where stability information is required. It is typically conducted indoors and an enclosed facility to protect the vessels from unprotected environmental conditions.

1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

4.1 From the lightcraft characteristics, calculations of the stability characteristics of the small craft for all load conditions can determine compliance to applicable stability criteria or provide mass properties information for other analyses or investigations. Accurate results from an air incline stability test may therefore determine future survival of the boat, the crew and compliment. If the small craft is not 100 % complete or there is fuel or other liquids in a tank that is supposed to be clean and dry then the person leading the stability test must determine the acceptability of all variances from the guide based on the ability to correct for these variances analytically. A complete understanding of the principles behind the stability test and knowledge of the factors that affect the results is therefore necessary.

4.2 The results of the stability test typically supersede the corresponding values in the weight estimate for any subsequent use in ascertaining compliance to stability or weight control criteria and may be used in weight margin adjudication.