We are pleased to announce that the Merchant Shipping Directorate within the Authority of Transport in Malta has rolled out its 4th edition of the Malta Commercial Yacht Code 2020 (Code) which updates and replaces the Commercial Yacht Code 2015 (CYC 2015).
The substantial increase in the number of superyachts which the Malta flag has continued to lure to its Register has seen the Merchant Shipping Directorate being sensitive to the fast-changing technological developments which this particular industry attracts. Drawing on its own experience of an already well established yachting industry and heeding the technical and commercial advice of yacht builders, repair yards, Classification Societies and industry stakeholders at large, the Merchant Shipping Directorate has come up with an improved Code that mirrors the yachting industry’s realities and ensures a greener and safer commercial yacht fleet for the Malta flag.
The Code comes into effect as of the 1st January 2021 however for existing yachts certificated in accordance with the CYC 2015, compliance with the new Code shall be by not later than the yacht’s first periodical survey carried out after the 1st June 2021.
The amendments and additions introduced by the Code are several and varied and largely seek to enhance the safety aspects of commercial yachting as well as to cater for the particular technological market demands of the industry – all this in conformity with safety and international regulations and standards.
The revisions, all of which are conveniently listed in Annex 1 of the Code, provide, inter alia, for improvements on the safety of passengers at sea, the well-being of the seafarers engaged onboard, the enhancement of the structural aspects of yachts, the provision for innovative designs and requirements covering electrically powered and/or hybrid engines and plants. The Code further provides for the improvement of the protection of the marine environment by introducing the requirements of the Ballast Water Management Convention and furthermore dedicates a section of the Code to the design, construction and safety of Helicopter Landing Areas.
More specifically, amendments made relate to the following sections:
• Definitions (Section 2), • Application and Interpretation (Section 3), • Structural Strength and Watertight Integrity (Section 4), • Rigging on Sailing Yachts (Section 5) • Machinery (Section 6), • Electrical Installation (Section 7), • Intact and Damage Stability (Section 8), • Life Saving Appliances (Section 10), • Fire protection (Section 11), • Equipment (Section 12), • Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (Section 13), • Protection of Personnel (Section 14), • Navigation and Communication (Section 15), • Marine Pollution Prevention section (Section 16), • Manning and Crew Certification (Section 17), • Medical Stores (Section 19), • Survey and Certification (Section 20), • Tenders and Ancillary Craft (Section 22), • Static Chartering (Section 23), • Helicopter Landing Areas (Section 24).
By Rowena Grima and Stephanie Farrugia, Fenech & Fenech Advocates
Source: Lexology
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