The Barge Association


DBA - The Barge Association is a club for leisure users of European inland waterways.
The club was formed in 1992 as "The Dutch Barge Association", by a small group of UK owners of Dutch barges. It later expanded to include any form of barge and other types of boat with the same interests in cruising in European rivers and canals, becoming "DBA - The Barge Association", DBA for short.
DBA maintains an active website with much information about barges and the European waterways, including purchase, training, regulations and technical advice. It contains a Waterways Guide with moorings and waterside facilities, frequently updated by members as they travel, and an active Forum for members to exchange information and advice.
DBA publishes a bi-monthly magazine, Blue Flag, plus an online newsletter in the other months.
DBA representatives attend meetings with Waterway authorities throughout Europe, and work with other organisations, to support its members' interests.
DBA's aims are to:
  • Promote interest in barging
  • Be the representative body for non-commercial barging
  • Be the premier source of barging information
  • Establish contact with and influence other relevant clubs, societies, navigation authorities and trade associations.
  • Keep members informed on all barge related topics
  • Facilitate communication between members to provide the opportunity for discussion of all aspects of barging.
The club's members are from all over the world. Many are retired and have time for extended cruising, sometimes all summer; but an increasing number are younger members who are able to work from their boat. Some are permanently living aboard, whether travelling or static. Members' boats range from 14m to 38m LOA, split around 50:50 above:below 20m LOA. About half are conversions of old commercial barges, with an increasing number of purpose-built pleasure craft, like. who manufacture Dutch-style motor barges.

The EU Recreational Craft Directive

Leisure boats and barges up to 24m built in Europe since 1994 must comply with the EU's Recreational Craft Directive which creates and defines four categories: A, B, C, and D.
  • B - limited to offshore navigation;.
  • C - limited to inshore navigation;.
  • D - limited to rivers, canals and small lakes;.

The Community Inland Navigation Certificate

If your boat is going to be used on the European mainland waterways and qualifies as below then it may need a Community Inland Navigation Certificate confirming that it meets the technical requirements for pleasurecraft. It does not apply in UK waters.
A community inland navigation. So ES-TRIN applies to
a 14.99m ship with a beam of 4.5m and 1.5m draught
a 19m ship with a beam of 4.5m and 1.2m draught

Barge publications

  • Blue Flag - the DBA's bi-monthly magazine for members
  • The Barge Buyer's Handbook - DBA members - - 2022
  • A Guide to Motor Barge Handling - Edward Burrell - - 2005
  • The Dutch Barge Book - David Evershed - 1997 -
  • The Dutch Motor Barge Book - David Evershed - 2017 -
  • Sell up and Cruise the Inland Waterways - Bill & Laurel Cooper - 2010 -

Barge travelogues