The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Large Ships) Regulations 1998

Classification of ships

2.—(1) For the purposes of these Regulations ships shall be arranged in Classes as follows—

Passenger Ships
Class I	Passenger ships engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages;
Class II	Passenger ships engaged only on short international voyages;
Class II(A)	Passenger ships engaged on voyages of any kind other than international voyages;
Ships other than passenger ships
Class VII	Ships (other than ships of Classes I, VII(A), VII(T), XI and XII) engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages;
Class VII(A)	Ships employed as fish processing or canning factory ships, and ships engaged in the carriage of persons employed in the fish processing or canning industries;
Class VII(T)	Tankers engaged on voyages any of which are long international voyages;
Class VIII	Ships (other than ships of Classes II, VIII(T), IX, XI and XII) engaged only on short international voyages;
Class VIII(A)	Ships (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;
Class VIII(T)	Tankers engaged only on short international voyages;
Class VIII(A)(T)	Tankers engaged only on voyages which are not international voyages;
Class IX	Tugs 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;
Class IX(A)	Ships which do not proceed to sea;
Class IX(A)(T)	Tankers which do not proceed to sea;
Class XI	Sailing ships (other than ships of Class XII) which proceed to sea;
Class XII	Pleasure vessels (other than passenger ships) of 13.7 metres in length or over.

(2) (a) For the purposes of this regulation the following expressions have the following meanings—

“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;

“short international voyage” means an international voyage—

(i)

in the course of which a ship is not more than two hundred nautical miles from a port or place in which the passengers and crew could be placed in safety; and

(ii)

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 prevented or forestalled;

“sea” does not include any waters of Category A, B, C or D;

“voyage” includes an excursion.

(b)

References to waters of Category A, B, C and D are references to waters categorised as such in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1504.