The basic tender
Governing: CYC 2025 s.22.1 (5th ed. Rev 1). Leads to: L1.2, Module 2.
Three kinds of tender
Section 22 of the Commercial Yacht Code 2025 sorts yacht tenders into three regimes:
| Regime | CYC | Registration | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tender or ancillary craft | 22.1 | Under the mother yacht's Registration Certificate | 3 nm from the yacht |
| Extended-range tender | 22.2 | Under the mother yacht's Registration Certificate | 6, 12 or 25 nm, by equipment scale |
| Independently registered tender or chase boat | 22.3 | Own Registration Certificate | 3 nm, or unrestricted if certified to IACS99, NCV, sCYC or CYC |
This lesson deals with the first. Module 2 covers the other two.
The 22.1 rules
- Stowed, towed or navigating with the yacht. Any of the three is allowed (22.1.3).
- 3 nm radius. Used only with the mother yacht and "may operate only within a three (3) nautical mile radius" from it.
- No separate business. No separate commercial activity and no separate voyages (22.1.3, 22.1.9).
- Markings. Persons capacity and the name of the mother yacht, in the form "T/T [yacht name]" (22.1.4).
- Kill-cord where remote throttles are fitted and length is under 12 m (22.1.5; Lesson 1.2).
- Master's responsibility. The Master makes sure use of the craft complies with local port rules and that the crew operating it are "trained, qualified and experienced" (22.1.9).
- Manning. Tenders, ancillary craft and chase boats "shall be adequately and safely manned", and tender manning "shall never jeopardise the safe manning of the mother yacht" (22.1.10).
The stricter rule prevails
22.1.1 and 22.1.2 matter more than they look. A yacht operating commercially in another state's waters must also meet that state's requirements, and where the two conflict, the stricter prevails. In Maltese waters that brings in the Small Ships Regulations (Module 3). In Italy, France, Spain or Greece it brings in their local tender, speed and licence rules. The CYC does not override them.
WARNING — The 3 nm radius moves with the yacht The radius is measured from the mother yacht, not the anchorage. Guests who want a run ashore to a restaurant 5 nm down the coast need either an extended-range tender or the yacht to reposition.
Manning the tender
The CYC does not list a certificate for 22.1 tender drivers. It says "trained, qualified and experienced". What counts as qualified depends on the waters (Module 3) and the management company's SMS. The manning point, though, is absolute: if the MSMC needs four crew on board and the tender takes two of them away, the yacht is under-manned, whatever the tender driver holds.
TIP — Write it into the SMS Many yachts have a tender policy listing which crew may drive which craft, with their certificates. That is the easiest way to show a port state officer the Master has met 22.1.9.
Cross-refer: Malta Commercial Yacht Code 2025 and Safe Manning for the MSMC tables.