Merchant Shipping Act 1995

13 (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, and to any exemption conferred by or under this Schedule, no non-United Kingdom ship to which this Schedule applies shall proceed or attempt to proceed to sea from any port in the United Kingdom unless—

(a) the ship has been surveyed in accordance with the load line rules;

(b) the ship is marked with a deck-line and with load lines in accordance with those rules;

(c) the ship complies with the conditions of assignment; and

(d) the information required by those rules to be provided as mentioned in paragraph 2(4) of this Schedule is provided for the guidance of the master of the ship in the manner determined in accordance with the rules.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) above does not apply to a ship in respect of which a valid Convention certificate is produced.

(3) If any ship proceeds or attempts to proceed to sea in contravention of the preceding provisions of this paragraph, the owner or master of the ship shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(4) Any ship which in contravention of this paragraph attempts to proceed to sea without being surveyed and marked as mentioned in sub-paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) above may be detained until it has been so surveyed and marked.

(5) If any such ship as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above, not being a ship in respect of which a valid Convention certificate is produced, does not comply with the conditions of assignment it shall be deemed to be dangerously unsafe for the purposes of sections 95, 96 and 97.