The Barge Association

DBA maintains an active website with much information about barges and the European waterways, including purchase, training, regulations and technical 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.

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.

Leisure boats and barges up to 24m built in Europe since 1994 must comply with the EU's Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) which creates and defines four categories: A, B, C, and D.[3] 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 ('Community Certificate') confirming that it meets the technical requirements for pleasurecraft (now ES-TRIN, was TRIWV).

Dutch Barge passing a swing bridge, on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal
Class C Piper barge at Windsor
Class D widebeam on English Grand Union Canal .
Class D English river barge at Longport, with Dutch-style fold-down wheelhouse.