The Merchant Shipping Act 1970 (Unregistered Ships) Regulations 1991

Citation, commencement and revocation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping Act 1970 (Unregistered Ships) Regulations 1991 and shall come into force on 8th July 1991.

(2) The Merchant Shipping (Unregistered Ships) Regulations 1972(1) are hereby revoked.

Extension to ships entitled to be registered of 24 metres or more in length

2.  It is hereby directed that—

(a) the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970 specified in column 1 of Part I of Schedule 1 to these Regulations ; and

(b) the provisions of the Regulations made under that Act specified in column 1 of Part II of that Schedule ;

shall extend to ships (other than fishing vessels) of the following description, that is to say, sea-going ships—

(i) which are wholly owned by a person resident in, or by a body corporate (not being a general lighthouse authority) having a principal place of business in, the United Kingdom ;

(ii) which are entitled to be registered in the United Kingdom under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894(2) but are not registered, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere ; and

(iii) which are 24 metres or more in length ;

and to masters and seamen employed in them, with such exceptions, adaptations or modifications (if any) as are specified in column 2 of that Schedule.

Extension to ships entitled to be registered of less than 24 metres in length

3.  It is hereby directed that—

(a) the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970 specified in column 1 of Part I of Schedule 2 to these Regulations ; and

(b) the provisions of the Regulations made under that Act specified in column 1 of Part II of that Schedule;

shall extend to ships (other than fishing vessels) of the following description, that is to say, sea-going ships

(i) which are wholly owned by a person resident in, or a body corporate (not being a general lighthouse authority) having a principal place of business in, the United Kingdom ; and

(ii) which are entitled to be registered in the United Kingdom under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 but are not registered, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere ; and

(iii) which are less than 24 metres in length;

and to masters and seamen employed in them, with such exceptions, adaptations and modifications (if any) as are specified in column 2 of that Schedule.

Extension of section 27 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970

4.—(1) It is hereby directed that section 27 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970(3) shall extend to ships (other than fishing vessels) of the following description, that is to say sea-going ships—

(i) which are wholly owned by a person resident in, or a body corporate (not being a general lighthouse authority) having a principal place of business in, the United Kingdom ; and

(ii) which are entitled to be registered in the United Kingdom under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 but are not registered, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere;

and to masters and seamen employed in them.

(2) It is hereby directed that the said section 27 shall apply to sea-going ships (other than fishing vessels) which are not registered, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, other than ships falling within paragraph (1) above, and to masters and seamen employed in them, when such ships are within the saeward limits of the territorial sea of the United Kingdom while proceeding to or from a port in the United Kingdom.

Amendment of regulations

5.  The Merchant Shipping (Crew Accomodation) Regulations 1978(4) shall be amended by substituting for regulation 4(1)(b) the following—

“(b) is not registered in the United Kingdom or elsewhere”.

6.  The Merchant Shipping (Returns of Births and Deaths) Regulations 1979(5) shall be amended by deleting the word “British” from regulation 12(1).

Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Brabazon of Tara

Minister of State,

Department of Transport

12th June 1991