Merchant Shipping Act, 1894

Mode of survey and declaration of survey.

272.(1) The owner of every passenger steamer shall cause the same to be surveyed by a [1] shipwright surveyor of ships and an [1] engineer surveyor of ships, the shipwright surveyor being, in the case of an iron steamer, a person properly qualified in the opinion of the Board of Trade to survey an iron steamer.

(2) The surveyors, if satisfied on the survey that they can with propriety do so, shall deliver to the owner declarations of survey in a form approved by the Board of Trade.

(3) The declaration of the shipwright surveyor shall contain statements of the following particulars:—

(a) That the hull of the steamer is sufficient for the service intended and in good condition:

(b) That the boats, life-buoys, lights, signals, compasses, and shelter for deck passengers, are such, and in such condition, as are required by this Act:

(c) The time (if less than one year) for which the hull and equipments will be sufficient:

(d) The limits (if any) beyond which, as regards the hull and equipments, the steamer is in the surveyor’s judgment not fit to ply:

(e) The number of passengers which the steamer is in the judgment of the surveyor fit to carry, distinguishing, if necessary, between the respective numbers to be carried on the deck and in the cabins and in different parts of the deck and cabins; those numbers to be subject to such conditions and variations, according to the time of year, the nature of the voyage, the cargo carried, or other circumstances, as the case requires:

(f) That the certificates of the master and mate or mates are such as are required by this Act.

(4) The declaration of the engineer surveyor shall contain statements of the following particulars; namely,—

(a) That the machinery of the steamer is sufficient for the service intended, and in good condition:

(b) The time (if less than one year) for which the machinery will be sufficient:

(c) That the safety valves and fire hose are such and in such condition as are required by this Act:

(d) The limit of the weight to be placed on the safety valves:

(e) The limits (if any) beyond which, as regards the machinery, the steamer is in the surveyor’s judgment not fit to ply:

(f) That the certificates of the engineer or engineers of the steamer are such as are required by this Act.

[1 Who may be the same person; see 6 Edw. 7. c. 48. s. 75 (3).]

[1 Who may be the same person; see 6 Edw. 7. c. 48. s. 75 (3).]