{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-fire-protection-small-ships-regulations-1998/regulation-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-fire-protection-small-ships-regulations-1998/regulation-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/1011",
  "legislation_title": "The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-fire-protection-small-ships-regulations-1998",
  "path": "regulation/2",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Classification of ships",
  "text": "(1) For the purposes of these Regulations ships shall be arranged in Classes as follows—\nPassenger ships\nClass I\nPassenger ships engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages;\nClass II\nPassenger ships engaged only on short international voyages;\nClass II(A)\nShips engaged on voyages of any kind other than international voyages, which are not—\n(i)ships of Classes III to VI(A) as defined in the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction: Ships of Classes III to VI(A)) Regulations 1998; or\n(ii)ships of Classes A, B, C or D as defined in the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ships on Domestic Voyages) Regulations 2000 which are new ships, engaged on domestic voyages, for the purposes of those Regulations.\nClass III\nPassenger ships engaged only on voyages in the course of which they are at no time more than 70 miles by sea from their point of departure and not more than 18 miles from the coast of the United Kingdom, and which are at sea only in favourable weather and during restricted periods;\nClass IV\nPassenger ships engaged only on voyages in Category A, B, C and D waters;\nClass V\nPassenger ships engaged only on voyages in Category A, B and C waters;\nClass VI\nPassenger ships engaged only on voyages with not more than 250 passengers on board, to sea, or in Category A, B, C and D waters, in all cases in favourable weather and during restricted periods, in the course of which the ships are at no time more than 15 miles, exclusive of any category, A, B and C waters, from their point of departure nor more than 3 miles from land;\nClass VI(A)\nPassenger ships carrying not more than 50 passengers for a distance of not more than 6 miles on voyages to or from isolated communities on the islands or coast of the United Kingdom and which do not proceed for a distance of more than 3 miles from land subject to any conditions which the Secretary of State may impose;\nShips other than passenger ships\nClass VII\nShips (other than ships of Classes I, VII(A), VII(T), XI and XII) engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages;\nClass VII(A)\nShips employed as fish processing or canning factory ships, and ships engaged in the carriage of persons employed in the fish processing or canning industries;\nClass VII(T)\nTankers engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages;\nClass VIII\nShips (other than ships of Classes II, VIII(T) IX, XI, and XII) engaged on voyages (not being long international voyages) any of which are short international voyages.\nClass VIII(A)\nShips (other than ships of Classes II(A) to VI(A) inclusive, VIII(A)(T), IX, IX(A), IX(A)(T). XI and XII), engaged on voyages which are not international voyages;\nClass VIII(T)\nTankers engaged only on short international voyages;\nClass VIII(A)(T)\nTankers engaged only on voyages which are not international voyages;\nClass IX\nTugs and tenders (other than ships of Classes II, II(A), III, VI and VI(A)) which proceed to sea but are not engaged on long international voyages;\nClass IX(A)\nShips (other than ships of Classes IV to VI inclusive) which do not proceed to sea;\nClass IX(A)(T)\nTankers which do not proceed to sea;\nClass XI\nSailing ships (other than ships of Class XII) which proceed to sea;\nClass XII\nPleasure vessels (other than ships of Classes I to VI(A) inclusive) of 13.7 metres in length or over.\n(2) For the purposes of this regulation the following expressions have the following meanings respectively—\n“Category A, B, C or D waters” means the waters specified as such in Merchant Shipping Notice No. M.1504; and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;\n“favourable weather” means fine, clear, settled weather with a sea state such as to cause only moderate rolling and/or pitching;\n“long international voyage” means a voyage from a port in one country to which the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (as amended) applies to a port in another country, or conversely, and which is not a short international voyage;\n“short international voyage” means an international voyage—\n(a)in the course of which a ship is not more than two hundred nautical miles from a port of place in which the passengers and crew could be placed in safety; and\n(b)which does not exceed 600 nautical miles in distance between the last port of call in the country in which the voyage begins and the first port of destination. However for the purposes of this definition no account shall be taken of any deviation by a ship from her intended voyage due solely to stress of weather or any other circumstances that neither the master nor the owner nor the charterer (if any) of the ship could have presented or forestalled;\n“restricted period” means a period falling wholly within the following limits—\n(a)from 1st April to 31st October, both dates inclusive; and\n(b)between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset in the case of ships fitted with navigation lights conforming to the collision regulations and between sunrise and sunset in the case of any other ships;\n“sea” does not include any waters specified as Category A, B, C or D in Merchant Shipping Notice No. M.1504;\n“voyage” includes an excursion.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (26.4.1999) by The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/992), regs. 1, 31(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (23.10.2000) by The Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ships on Domestic Voyages) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/2687), reg. 1, Sch. para. 6(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (26.4.1999) by The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/992), regs. 1, 31(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 2 in force at 11.5.1998, see reg. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1011/regulation/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:32:26.653172+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}