Orals Revision: Business & Law — Codes, Musters, Salvage & Manning (Master 200/OOW 500 Yacht Route)

Orals revision card — Master (code vessels less than 200 GT)/Officer of the Watch (yachts less than 500 GT) Oral Examination Syllabus, Section 2.6 'Business and Law' (MCA, gov.uk, updated 17 June 2026). Small-vessel/yacht route — a different syllabus from the Unlimited CoC track covered elsewhere in this series. This section is the legal-framework equivalent of the MIN 653 legislative compliance cards, but built around the codes that actually govern small commercial vessels and yachts rather than SOLAS-class shipping.

The Codes That Apply to You

• Understand the content and practical application of the codes that govern your vessel type: the Small Vessels Commercial Code (referenced via MGN 280(M)) for code vessels, and the Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY3) (MSN 1851(M)) for yachts — know which one actually applies to the vessel you're on
• Know the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen (the Merchant Shipping (Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen) Regulations 1998, SI 1998/1838) — its content and how it applies in practice

Master's Obligations

• Understand the legal obligation to ensure a seaworthy vessel
• Know the requirements for musters and drills, including fire, emergency and abandon ship drills
• Understand the requirements for safe manning, hours of work and watchkeeping
• Know the circumstances in which a vessel requires a crew agreement

Salvage

• A basic understanding of the laws of salvage

Quick Self-Check

• Which code applies to a code vessel and which applies to a yacht, and what are their MGN/MSN references?
• What's your legal obligation regarding seaworthiness, in one sentence?
• When does a vessel require a crew agreement?

Test yourself: Legal · Safety Knowledge Checks.

Related Reading

• OOW Revision: SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM & Legislative Compliance — the equivalent legal-framework competence on the Unlimited CoC track, for contrast
• Revision: Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (PSSR) — the underpinning short course behind the musters/drills requirement