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 interested in their use for pleasure cruising and living aboard. 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". It is still generally known as the "DBA".
The DBA has within its aims:
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 pleasurecraft.

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 four categories, A, B, C, and D. Most DBA member's craft fall into Classes C or D.
Barges over 20m long in mainland waters must comply with the ES-TRIN standard for a 'Community Certificate'.

Barge publications & travelogues