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Legislation and Authorities
The main authorities, legislation and codes of practice affecting large yachts are:
The British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) was created on the 1st April 1998 following the merger of the former Marine Safety and Coastguard Agencies. It is core strategy of the MCA to ensure an enhanced safety record for the Red Ensign Fleet.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Large Yacht Code was developed from initial work carried out by the Isle of Man and was intended for application to Red Ensign yachts over 24m in length in Commercial use.
The "Code of Practice for Safety of Large Commercial Sailing and Motor Yachts" was introduced in 1997 and came into force on the 16th December 1998, and has since become the recognised international safety standard for yachts over 24 meters in length.
The purpose of the IMO is to provide machinery for cooperation among governments in the field of governmental regulation and practices relating to technical matters of all kinds affecting shipping engaged in international trade.
Port State Control is the inspection of foreign ships in national ports to verify that the condition of the ship and its equipment comply with the requirements of international regulations and that the ship is manned and operated in compliance with these rules.
The International Safety Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (ISM Code) addresses the responsibilities of the people who manage and operate ships and provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.
The application of the ISM Code should support and encourage the development of a safety culture in shipping.
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was adopted in 1973.
Attempts had been made through the years to regulate the use of the oceans in a single convention that was acceptable to all nations. These attempts finally culminated with the adoption of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which has gained nearly universal acceptance since its entry into force on 16 November 1994.
The Isle of Man has four registers, the Main Register covers merchant vessels, commercial and pleasure yachts with the ability to record title and register mortgages. In addition there is the Demise (Bareboat) Charter Register and the Small Ships and Fishing Register for locally owned vessels. |
