MERCHANT SHIPPING: INPUT SOUGHT ON LATEST SMALL VESSEL SAFETY REGULATORY PROPOSALS

MERCHANT SHIPPING: INPUT SOUGHT ON LATEST SMALL VESSEL SAFETY REGULATORY PROPOSALS

• 05 September 2025
• Transport
• SA Legal Academy

The Department of Transport has called for public comments by 5 October 2025 on draft small vessel safety regulations under the 1951 Merchant Shipping Act possibly informed by input on a version released in February 2024 – on which SA Legal Academy reported at the time.

Once finalised and operational, the proposed new regulations will repeal the 2007 regulations and apply to:

• commercial and pleasure vessels (regardless of size) used on inland waters
• registered commercial vessels of less than 25 gross tonnage used at sea, and
• registered pleasure vessels of less than 100 gross tonnage used at sea.

Against that backdrop, among other things the draft regulations deal with:

• safety certification
• vessel-specific safety requirements
• crewing and training
• special provisions for unregistered pleasure vessels
• water skiing and other personal watercraft
• exemptions, and
• controlled events.

It is proposed that, in certain circumstances, the owners of vessels falling under the new regulations should have two years’ grace before being required to comply with the provisions concerned.

• draft regulations
• February 2024 SA Legal Academy report (unfortunately, the draft regulations released at the time are no longer available)

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

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