Rules for the Charter of Yachts Under 24 Metres under the British Flag

The purpose of this guide is to provide information concerning the flag state rules applicable to British registered yachts of up to 24 metres in Load Line length that are operated for charter.

Any yacht undertaking a charter at sea regardless of its flag is considered to be a vessel that is in use for a commercial purpose and should therefore hold a valid Load Line Certificate and be operated in accordance with the international regulations applicable to a vessel of its physical characteristics and distance of operation from a safe haven.

As an alternative to Load Line certification and compliance with applicable international regulations which would be unachievable for many small vessels the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have developed a code or practice specifically for vessels of up to 24 metres Load Line length which are engaged at sea in the performance of activities of a commercial nature which includes yachts carrying not more than 12 passengers (i.e. excluding crew).

The UK MCA are an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Transport holding responsibility and accountability for UK merchant shipping regulations and their enforcement.

The code is known as the Small Commercial Vessel Code of Practice and is published as Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 280 with the full title of ‘Small Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure, Workboats and Pilot Boats – Alternative Construction Standards’.

A copy of the code can be accessed at the following link:

Small Commercial Vessel Code of Practice – MGN 280

The code has been adopted by all members of the Red Ensign Group (REG) which is the collective working party for the shipping registries that comprise the British Register of Ships which includes the UK, the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey) and eight UK Overseas Territories (including the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands).