Bemanningssterkte
Statutory minimum crew, in a few clicks
A free calculator that works out the statutory minimum crew for an inland vessel. Not by gut feeling, but by the regulations: the Dutch Binnenvaartregeling Chapter 5 for Dutch inland waters and the RSP Part III Chapter 19 for the Rhine, Waal and Lek.
The tool asks about what actually matters — sailing area, vessel type, length, convoy group, operating mode (A1, A2 or B) and equipment standard (S1 or S2) — and then applies the footnotes, substitution rules and exemptions that go with that combination. Including the special regimes for passenger vessels, tugs, ferries and bunker barges. Updated to the consolidated 2026 regulations.
It is deliberately free and open: a tool the whole sector can use, presented by BargeFlow. Whoever calculates crew here immediately knows who builds the digital documentation behind it.
What it does
- Calculation per Dutch Binnenvaartregeling Ch. 5 and RSP Part III Ch. 19
- Asks about sailing area, vessel type, length, convoy group and operating mode
- Applies footnotes, substitution rules and exemptions automatically
- Special regimes for passenger vessels, tugs, ferries and bunker barges
- Updated to the consolidated 2026 regulations — free to use
What's new
Recent improvements, newest first.
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Updated to the 2026 regulations
June 2026The calculator is updated to the current legislation (last change processed: Stcrt. 2025, 14004), with extra scenarios and edge cases. The explanation for the lighter S2 crew is nuanced so it's clear it doesn't apply in every situation.
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New, calmer design
June 2026The whole interface got a fresh look based on the BargeFlow design system, for a clearer and more professional feel.
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Support for rigid convoys (push-tow units)
March 2026A dedicated crew matrix per RSP art. 19.03, with all groups and barge equivalence, so coupled formations and push-tow units are calculated correctly too.
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Sticky result panel and one-page print
February 2026The result panel stays in view while you fill in, and you print the outcome neatly on a single A4, disclaimer included.
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First version live
February 2026A free client-side calculator for the statutory minimum crew, for Dutch inland waters (Binnenvaartregeling Ch. 5) and the Rhine (RSP Part III Ch. 19), including rules for passenger and steam vessels.
For skippers, charterers and crew managers who want to know quickly and with justification which crew is legally required — without ploughing through the tables and footnotes themselves.
Bemanningssterkte
bemanningsterkte.nl