Yacht Codes — a solution to the problem of equivalent safety standards for large yachts

For a number of years full compliance with several important international maritime conventions was impractical for the owners of large pleasure yachts engaged in chartering. The problem was solved in the United Kingdom by the adoption of a Code that substituted alternative safety standards for those required under the relevant International Maritime Organisation (‘IMO’) Conventions. This chapter addresses the legal framework which made it possible for such a code to be introduced, its subsequent development over the past 21 years and the extent to which the Code has been adopted or followed in other jurisdictions.