Safety Management System for UK coded yachts

Who needs it

The Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code applies to small vessels under 24 m in commercial use for sport or pleasure that carry no more than 12 passengers: skippered and bareboat charter yachts, sail training and instruction, sea safaris and other passenger trips. It replaced the Blue, Yellow and Red Codes and MGN 280 and has applied since 12 December 2025.

All vessels within its scope must meet the Safety Management System requirements within three years, that is by December 2028. The Certifying Authority reviews the system at the compliance and renewal examinations against Appendix 7 of the Code. For bareboat charter, the owner or operator holds the system.

What you get

A complete Safety Management System for your vessel or fleet, in English, as editable Word documents with the forms and records you need on board.

• Health, safety and environmental protection policy, with a drug and alcohol policy and a named responsible person

• Risk assessments for all your operations and for every part of the Code that refers to the system, with the cross-reference statement the Code asks for

• Roles and responsibilities, the master's overriding authority, and the person ashore with a shoreside emergency plan

• Training and familiarisation for crew, with checklists

• Standard operating procedures, the passenger safety briefing and safety cards

• Emergency procedures for fire, flooding, collision, grounding, man overboard, abandon ship, medical emergencies and more, with a drill plan and drill records

• Accident, incident and near-miss reporting

• Maintenance programme for vessel and equipment, with records

• Cyber security measures and a cyber risk assessment, scaled to your vessel

• A simple annual review routine, so the system stays alive

On request we review and update the system every year, for changes to the Code, your vessel or your operation.

How it works

• You send us the form below with the basics of your vessel and operation.

• We send a short questionnaire and ask for what you already have: certificate, stability information, existing procedures.

• We draft the system and go through it with you in one video call.

• You receive the final version, ready to use on board and to show your Certifying Authority.

We confirm the scope and a fixed fee in writing before we start.

Independence

The system is yours: you implement it and keep it up to date. We prepare it separately from any coding examination and do not examine a vessel against a system we have written.

Questions

By when do I need a Safety Management System?

All vessels within the scope of the Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code must meet its Safety Management System requirements within three years of the Code coming into force on 12 December 2025, that is by December 2028.

Does a bareboat charter yacht need one?

Yes. The owner or operator must meet the Safety Management System requirements. The charterer is exempt from some sections of Appendix 7.

What must the system contain?

Appendix 7 lists a health, safety and environmental protection policy, risk assessments, roles and responsibilities, training, standard operating procedures, emergency procedures, accident reporting, maintenance, cyber security measures, and review and continuous improvement.

Can one system cover several vessels?

Yes. The Code asks for a system proportionate to the size and complexity of the vessels and the operation, so a fleet can share one system with vessel-specific parts.

Coding as well?

For the examination itself we coordinate coding, tonnage and flag inspections through surveyors authorised for the code concerned. All services →