The Marshall Islands Yacht Code 2026 is now the governing technical framework for yachts registered under the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) flag, with an effective date of 1 January 2026. It replaces earlier editions and aims to keep pace with modern yacht design, larger platforms, and more complex operations.
If you manage newbuilds, run a charter program, or oversee yacht compliance, this update matters because it affects technical decisions early in design and how you document safety and operational controls later. SeaEmploy often sees the same pressure point: owners and managers want to move fast, but class, flag, and shipyards still need clean evidence trails.
The good news: the Code reads like a practical build and operations standard, and it spells out where RMI accepts equivalents and alternative arrangements, as long as you make the case early and properly.
The scope of 2026 RMI code, yacht types, and the real effective-date rules
The Code sets requirements for construction, machinery, equipment, and stability. It also links those requirements to international conventions and RMI law, while recognizing that yachts do not operate like merchant ships.
The part many teams miss sits in the effective-date language. In plain terms:
A yacht with a building contract on or after 1 January 2026 (or keel laid on/after that date when no contract exists) must comply with the 2026 Code in full.
If the contract predates 1 January 2026 and the keel gets laid after that date (but within a limited window), RMI may allow the yacht to remain under the earlier Code that applied at contract date. That decision sits with the Administrator, so treat it as a request, not an assumption.
The Code also draws clear lines for different yacht categories: commercial yachts, passenger yachts (PAXYs), private yachts limited charter (PYLCs), and yachts engaged in trade (YETs). Each category has its own chapter, so your compliance plan should start by locking the category, then mapping the chapter requirements against your intended operation.
RMI Yacht Code 2026: practical compliance areas that trip teams up
The 2026 edition stays pragmatic, but it tightens expectations in several operational areas where incidents and “gray practice” tend to appear.
1) Alternative designs and equivalencies (use them, but do them early).
RMI explicitly recognizes that a yacht may use standards other than the Code, if those standards deliver equivalent safety and fitness for purpose. The Code also sets a process: the Recognized Organization (RO) submits the recommendation and uses the specified exemption/equivalency approach. The key operational takeaway is timing. Get these submissions in during concept and early design, not after steel.
2) Tender controls become more formal than many crews expect.
The Code defines a Tender Statement of Compliance (TSC) and requires you to keep an official statement onboard that confirms inspection and fitness for intended purpose. It also draws a bright line that personal watercraft (like jet skis) do not count as tenders. This pushes yacht managers toward better documentation, equipment lists, and oversight for yacht-shore transfer routines.
3) Helicopter operations and “toy” complexity are treated as real risk.
If helicopter operations take place to or from the yacht, the Code points you to the dedicated helicopter facilities annex and related requirements. This matters because helicopter capability often shows up late in a project as a “nice-to-have,” yet it drives structural, fire-fighting, crew training, and operating procedures. The annex framework also signals a compliance mindset: RMI expects structured controls, not informal captain-only rules.
4) Submersibles and advanced equipment require class discipline.
Where a yacht carries a submersible, the Code requires design/build in accordance with class rules and maintenance in class. It also highlights stability and structural considerations around lifting. Owners love the capability. Flag and class want engineering, lifting plans, and hard operational boundaries.
5) Tonnage and thresholds still drive “what applies.”
For yachts under 24 meters, the Code points to a simplified tonnage measurement method in Annex 3 and notes additional tonnage guidance through RMI publications. That matters because tonnage and length thresholds can change survey scope, safety equipment, and manning expectations. In practice, you want your tonnage approach agreed early, then locked into project documentation so it does not drift mid-build.
How to implement the Code without slowing your project
Start with a gap review that matches your yacht type and intended operation. Do not treat “yacht compliance” as one checklist for all flags or all yachts. The RMI structure is chapter-based, and it expects you to follow the chapter that fits your use case.
Next, build a simple evidence plan. Decide which documents you will keep onboard, which you will maintain shoreside, and which you will hand to class/RO at each milestone.
The tender documentation requirement is a good example: crews can comply easily, but only if someone assigns ownership for inspection cadence, file control, and onboard availability.
Then, run your “special operations” workshop early. Helicopter ops, submersibles, and other high-profile features often arrive as design ambitions before the operational controls exist. Use the Code as your forcing function: define procedures, training, maintenance, and emergency responses while the yard can still design to them.
Finally, if you plan limited charter activity, get clear on the boundaries. The Code definitions and chapters for PYLC and YET align the concept of limited trade with a capped number of charter days, plus the right certificates and authorizations. The commercial plan should match the regulatory plan, not fight it.
Closing thoughts
The Marshall Islands Yacht Code 2026 pushes yacht safety and operational discipline forward without turning yachts into merchant ships. It clarifies effective-date rules, supports equivalent standards when you document them properly, and tightens practical areas like tenders, helicopter operations, and complex onboard equipment.
If you want a clean transition into 2026, treat the Code as a project tool, not just a survey hurdle. SeaEmploy can support your compliance planning with role-ready crew pathways and documentation habits that stand up to real inspections. Review your yacht’s category, run a gap assessment, and align your RO and shipyard now, so 1 January 2026 feels like a non-event instead of a scramble.
