Commercial Yachts
Any Commercial Yacht proposed for registry must be of 24 metres in length or more and must be classed with one of the Classification Societies recognised by the Isle of Man. Vessels must also comply with the UK Mega Yacht Code.
Applicable Legislation
- The Merchant Shipping (Registration) Act 1991
- The Merchant Shipping (Registration) Regulations 1996
- The Merchant Shipping (Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure) Regulations 1998 (SI 2771/1998) as applied to the Isle of Man by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Provisions) Application Order 2002 (SD 865/02)
Registry Requirement
Commercial Yachts are registered in exactly the same manner and are subject to the same conditions as Merchant Ships. Each vessel must be seen by an Isle of Man surveyor prior to registry. Vessels are registered if the surveyor is satisfied that the vessel complies with the Code and is a suitable for registry in the Isle of Man. In exactly the same way as with Merchant Ships, the owner must be a "qualified owner", with a Representative Person present in the Isle of Man.
After Registry
Commercial Yachts are automatically entered in the Alternative Fees Scheme on registry and will be visited by an Isle of Man surveyor at 30 month intervals. Each vessel will be thoroughly inspected and the attending surveyor will undertake any necessary surveys that are due. Those subject to the ISM Code (over 500 GT) will receive an ISM audit and vessels subject to the ISPS Code will receive a Security verification audit.
Useful Documents
There is a range of useful documents for Commercial Yachts to download for free (see Commercial Yachts page).

