City of London Training Site

Otherwise known as the "Yellow" Code

1.2    Small Commercial Vessel and Pilot Boat Code (SCV Code)
Over the last four years, the MCA has reviewed, and harmonised the existing codes of practice for small vessels. This was not intended as a simple merger of the small vessel codes, but an opportunity to rationalise and update the requirements where appropriate, to ensure that the “harmonised” code would reflect good practice within the industry. It was not intended however, to produce major changes to the philosophy or content of the Codes, or to place retrospective requirements on vessels currently operating commercially.

Stakeholders from all areas of the marine industry, (including designers, builders, regulators and operators) participated in the Working Group charged with this task of harmonisation.  This ensured that the new harmonised code, the “Small Commercial Vessel and Pilot Boat (SCV) Code” remains an “industry-wide” agreed standard. The SCV Code has now been approved for publication and is available for use, as an alternative standard, by all small vessels wishing to be certificated for commercial use through Marine Guidance Note 280(M). This MGN is available free of charge; electronically, from our website, please click here to view MGN 280 ( PDF Document 920 KB); or in hard copy, from any of the Agency’s Marine Offices. Full implementation of the SCV Code as a free-standing code, in its own right, will follow the coming into force of a Statutory Instrument (Regulations) and the publication of the code, as a Merchant Shipping Notice.  This is expected be in place by December 2007,

5    Manning Requirements
5.1    Small Commercial Vessel Code
Vessels certified under a Code of Practice will be assigned an Area Category for their operation. For each category, there are required qualifications for the skipper and in some instances the crew. These qualifications are listed in the respective Code.

It is the responsibility of the owner/skipper to ensure that the relevant requirements are met and category limits adhered to.

Should lower qualifications be held, then the vessel should only operate in the lesser Area Category to which those lower qualifications are appropriate.

Code of Practice

ANNEX 7

THE MANNING OF SMALL VESSELS

THE MANNING OF SMALL SAILING VESSELS IN COMMERCIAL USE

This Annex give information relating to the manning and operation of small sailing vessels in commercial use as follows:-

Section 1 - Areas of Application
Section 2 - Minimum Qualification of the person in charge of the vessel and the additional person when required
Section 3 - Revalidation of Certificates
Section 4 - Responsibility of the Owner/Managing Agent for the Safe Manning of the vessel
Section 5 - Keeping a Safe Navigational Watch
Section 6 - Withdrawal of Certificate
Section 7 - Phasing-in Arrangements

General

Vessels of less than 80 tons gross or under 24 metres in length carrying not more than 12 passengers, being commercially operated sailing vessels as defined in section 1.4 of the Code, and which comply with the requirements of the Code will be exempt from the need to comply fully with the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Deck Officers) Regulations 1985 and the Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Marine Engineer Officers and Licensing of Marine Engine Operators) Regulations 1986 provided the manning of the vessel, when operating in the areas described in 1 below, is in accordance with the standards given in 2 below.

1 Areas of Application

Commercially operated sailing vessels operating within the following areas should carry at least the qualified personnel shown in 2 below:-

Area category 3 or 4 Up to 20 miles from a safe haven
Area category 2 Up to 60 miles from a safe haven
Area category 1 Up to 150 miles from a safe haven
Area category 0 Unrestricted service

2 Minimum Qualifications of the Person in Charge of the Vessel (Skipper) and of the Additional Persons Required to be Carried on Board

2.1 Endorsement of Certificates

All certificates of competency and/or service should carry the endorsement - "valid for pleasure vehicles of up to 24 metres in length used for commercial purposes".

2.2 Qualifications Required

2.2.1 Voyages up to 20 miles from a safe haven - operating area category 3 or 4 [applies to L1]

The skipper should hold at least an RYA/DTp Certificate of Competency as Coastal Skipper (Sailing)

2.2.2 Voyages of up to 60 miles from a safe haven - very unlikely for L1

The skipper should hold at least an RYA/DTp Certificate of Competency as Yachtmaster Offshore (Sailing).

There should also be on board a second person deemed by the skipper to be experienced.

2.2.3 Voyages of up to 150 miles from a safe haven - not applicable to L1

2.2.5 Radio Qualification

Every vessel should carry at least one person holding a Radio Operator's Certificate suitable for the radio equipment on board.

2.2.6 Medical Fitness Certificates

The skipper should hold a Medical Fitness Certificate issued by the DTp or an equivalent certificate. A DTp Medical Report on an applicant for a Boatmaster's Licence or a Health and Safety Executive Medical report for a sea diver will be considered to be equivalent to a DTp Medical Fitness Certificate.

2.2.7 Basic Sea Survival Course

Skippers of vessels to which the Code applies should hold an approved Basic Sea Survival Course Certificate.

2.2.8 First Aid Courses

Skippers or another member of the crew of vessels which operate in area category 2, 3 or 4 should hold a DTp First Aid at Sea Certificate or a certificate issued by a voluntary society following the successful completion of a first aid course approved by the Health and Safety Executive. Such courses should have extra emphases on the treatment of hypothermia and casualty evacuation.

Skippers of vessels operating in area category 0 or 1 should hold a DTp Ship Captain's Medical Training Certificate unless another member of the crew hold a medical or nursing qualification of an equivalent or a higher standard.

3 Revalidation of Certificates

All RYA/DTp Yachtmaster Certificates, whether of competency or service should be revalidated every five years, at which time a valid Medical Fitness Certificate should be produced.

4 Responsibility of the Owner/Managing Agent for Safe Manning of the Vessel

It is the responsibility of the owner/managing agent to ensure that the skipper and where necessary the crew of the vessel have, in addition to any qualifications required in 2 above, recent and relevant experience of the type and size of vessel and the type of operation in which the vessel is engaged. The owner/managing agent should also ensure that there are sufficient additional crew on board having regard to the type and duration of voyage being undertaken.

5 Keeping a Safe Navigational Watch

It is the responsibility of the skipper to ensure that there is, at all times, a person with adequate experience in charge of the navigational watch. In taking this decision the skipper should take into account all factors affecting the safety of the boat, including:-

.1 the present and forecast state of the water, visibility and sea;
.2 the proximity of navigational hazards;
.3 the density of traffic in the area.

6 Withdrawal of Certificate of Competency or Service

The Yachtsmaster Qualifications Panel reserves the right to withdraw a RYA/DTp Certificate of Competency or Certificate of Service at any time if due cause is shown.

7 Phasing-in Arrangements

7.1 When the Code comes into operation and until 31 March 1996, existing skippers who do not already hold the Certificates of Competency required by the Code, will be eligible to be issued with a Certificate of Service appropriate to their previous experience.

The Certificates of Services will be issued by the RYA to the applicant upon satisfactory proof of sea service.

Applicants for Certificates of Service should also obtain the appropriate qualification in First Aid.

7.2 Applicants for RYA Certificate of Service (COS)

.1 Applicants for Coastal Skipper COS should have a total of at least two years experience of which at least 100 days should have been spent actually at sea. Included in this two years at least one year, which includes at least 50 days actually at sea, should have been served as skipper of a small commercial sailing vessel.

.2 Applicants for Yachtmaster Offshore COS should have a total of at least five years experience of which 250 days should have been spend actually at sea. Included in this five years at least two years, which includes at least 100 days actually at sea, should have been served as skipper of a small commercial sailing vessel. Additionally, the required sea service should include at least 12 voyages of over 60 miles and at least 6 of these voyages should have been served in the capacity of skipper.

2    Examination and Certification of Code Vessels
2.1    Requirements for Small Vessels to be Examined and Certificated
The owner/managing agent of a vessel to be operated under the Code, should:

• Choose an authorised Certifying Authority and contact them to obtain a copy of the appropriate application form for examination/survey
• Complete the form and return it to the Certifying Authority with an advance of fees (when requested);
• Arrange with the Certifying Authority for the vessel to be examined by an authorised person and documented in the appropriate report form for a Compliance Examination.
• Be in receipt of a valid certificate for the vessel prior to it entering into service

2.2     Lists of Certifying Authorities
Lists of MCA approved Certifying Authorities, and the appropriate contact details, can be found at the end of this newsletter in Attachment No:1 and Attachment No:2.

Attachment No:1 Lists the Certifying Authorities who are authorised to survey and certificate vessels in accordance with the SCV Code “I Note : American Bureau of Shipping does not undertake work on vessels to be coded under the NDP Code.

Attachment No:2  lists all Local Authorities and Harbour Authorities.