YAcht FAQ
The REG Yacht Code is a set of standards for safety and pollution prevention for yachts which operate commercially - this includes commercial yachts, Pleasure Yacht Charter Ready Yachts (PYCR) and Yachts Engaged in Trade (YETs). It was developed by the Red Ensign Group, which includes the Isle of Man Ship Registry, and supersedes the previous Large Yacht Code as an equivalent arrangement to the requirements of SOLAS, the International Load Line Convention and the STCW Convention. GISIS Reference XQ162014 dated 15th November 2025 advises IMO of the latest version (2024) of the Code.
A yacht must comply with the Code at all times when it is issued either with a Certificate of Compliance or Statement of Compliance, whether or not it is operating commercially. This means that the Code shall continue to apply, even when a vessel is issued with a Pleasure Certificate of Registry.
Yes. You may wish to contact us to discuss what we can do for a 'Pleasure Yacht Plus'. Many owners will build to the Code or bring their yachts into the Code, for a number of reasons, including the peace of mind of knowing their yacht complies with an internationally recognised safety standard. Other reasons include vessel resale value maximisation and risk mitigation.
Certification applicable to yachts can be found here.
An REG-YC certificate or Statement of Compliance remains valid for a maximum of 5 years provided annual inspections are carried out.
Annual inspections must be carried out within 3 months either side of the certificate or Statement of Compliance's anniversary date otherwise it becomes invalid.
It depends upon the Survey Scheme on which the vessel is operating.
Commercial yachts and PYCR yacht must be issued with a Commercial Certificate of Registry in order to charter.
YETs, on the other hand, may undertake limited charters whilst issued with a Pleasure Certificate of Registry, subject to certain conditions. Please see MSN 075 for further information.
Yes, and our PYCR survey scheme has been designed to make this process as smooth as possible. However, a yacht can only be issued with one Certificate of Registry at any one time. The Certificate of Registry which is not in current use must be returned to the Isle of Man Ship Registry. It can be re-issued on application.
When switching from pleasure Certificate of Registry to commercial Certificate of Registry it will be necessary for us to undertake a very short remote inspection to ensure that Commercial compliance has been maintained at all times.
Yes. MARPOL applies to all vessels, commercial and pleasure, although in some cases yachts will be below the threshold for survey and certification.
Yes. The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) prescribe safety measures for visibility, navigation and sound signalling to ensure safe navigation for all users of the world’s oceans.