The committee of the AOB is nominated and voted in by the membership. The Committee works hard to protect the interests of members and the barge community. We participate in the running of the joint sailing barge exemption panel who issue barges with their MCA certified passenger certificates under the TSB Exemption Scheme. This scheme issues certificates to barges after checking that they are surveyed as sufficiently seaworthy and safety equipped to allow them to sail outside of the MCA Codes of Practice.

The association also nominates senior experienced barge skippers to sit on the Thames Sailing Barge Masters Qualification board for the assessment of prospective sailing barge masters looking to achieve their skippers ticket.

Working with the Sailing Barge Association we strive to ensure that these wonderful craft and the skills in sailing them are not lost.