You join a yacht built in 2015 as Chief Officer. The vessel's certificate references "LY3." A more recently built sister yacht in the same fleet references the "REG Yacht Code." Explain whether the older yacht is non-compliant or needs to be re-coded.

A. GRANDFATHERING / EXISTING SHIP PROVISIONS: A yacht built and coded under LY3 (in force 2013–2018 for new builds before the REG Yacht Code took over from 1 January 2019) does not automatically become non-compliant or require full re-coding to the newer Code purely because a newer edition exists. Yacht and ship codes generally apply new, more demanding requirements primarily to NEW builds from the edition's effective date, while EXISTING yachts already coded under the prior edition continue to be assessed against the edition they were originally coded to (subject to any specific retrospective requirements the new Code explicitly imposes — flag states and class issue guidance, e.g. retrospective application notices, on which provisions, if any, apply to existing yachts). PRACTICAL POINT FOR THE CHIEF OFFICER: check the yacht's current Code Compliance Certificate and any flag-state/class guidance notes for that vessel to confirm which provisions of which edition currently govern her — do not assume either "nothing has changed" or "everything must be upgraded" without checking the specific retrospective application rules, since flag states have issued specific guidance on this exact LY3-to-REG-YC transition (e.g. retrospective application notices from class societies in 2019).

B. Any yacht still certificated to LY3 rather than the REG Yacht Code is automatically unseaworthy and must stop trading immediately until fully re-coded.

C. Code editions only apply to the year a surveyor happens to visit the vessel, regardless of when the yacht was built or originally coded.

D. There is no difference between LY3 and the REG Yacht Code in practice, so the question of which edition applies is irrelevant to vessel operation.

A. THE LARGE (COMMERCIAL) YACHT CODE — LY3: Issued by the UK MCA, came into force 20 August 2013. SCOPE: commercially operated yachts that are 24 metres or over in load line length, carry no cargo, and carry no more than 12 passengers. LY3 removed the earlier 3,000GT ceiling, so megayachts of any tonnage can be coded as commercial yachts provided the 12-passenger limit is respected. CURRENT STATUS: since 1 January 2019, LY3 has been formally superseded on Red Ensign Group (REG) flags by the REG YACHT CODE, which merged LY3 and the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) into a single document — Part A is the large-yacht successor to LY3, Part B covers passenger yachts (charter with more passengers under the relevant licence). The REG Yacht Code has since had further editions (most recently July 2024). PRACTICAL POINT: "LY3" remains common industry shorthand for "the large yacht code," even on vessels now actually coded to the REG Yacht Code — a candidate should recognise both terms refer to the same regulatory lineage, not confuse it with SOLAS (which applies to trading cargo/passenger ships, not coded yachts).

B. LY3 is a private insurance standard with no legal force — yachts may choose to follow it or not, and flag states have no role in enforcing it.

C. LY3 applies to all yachts regardless of size, including private (non-commercial) yachts under 24 metres, and to ships in commercial cargo trade.

D. LY3 has been replaced by SOLAS for all yachts over 500GT and no longer exists as a separate regulatory framework at any tonnage.

A. CODE COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (CCC) — PURPOSE AND DISTINCTION: The CCC confirms the yacht has been surveyed and found to comply with the applicable edition of the Large Yacht Code / REG Yacht Code in its construction, stability, fire protection, life-saving appliances, and equipment. It is the Code-specific equivalent of a SOLAS Safety Certificate for a coded commercial yacht. OTHER CERTIFICATES SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES: (1) TONNAGE CERTIFICATE — confirms gross and net tonnage, which determines which provisions of the Code (and other regulations) apply, since several Code requirements scale by GT band (e.g. crew accommodation equivalence bands at 200GT and 500GT); (2) LOAD LINE CERTIFICATE — verifies the yacht's freeboard/draught marks and confirms hull/freeboard integrity against the applicable Load Line rules; (3) SAFETY CERTIFICATE — where issued separately, covers specific safety equipment scope. WHO ISSUES/SURVEYS: typically a Recognised Organisation (classification society) acting on behalf of the flag state, not the MCA directly for most flags. A yacht operating commercially without a valid CCC is not lawfully coded — it cannot carry fare-paying charter guests or operate to the Code's reduced-passenger commercial basis.

B. The Code Compliance Certificate and the Tonnage Certificate are the same document under a different name — either may be presented to a surveyor or Port State Control officer.

C. The CCC only needs to be obtained once at build and never expires or requires renewal regardless of changes to the vessel.

D. A yacht can operate commercially with guests on board without a CCC as long as the crew hold valid certificates of competency.