Merchant Shipping Act, 1906

Certificated cooks for foreign-going ships.

27.(1) After the thirtieth day of June nineteen hundred and eight, every British foreign-going ship of a thousand tons and upwards gross tonnage, going to sea from any place in the British Islands or on the continent of Europe between the River Elbe and Brest inclusive, shall be provided with and carry a duly certificated cook who is able to prove one month's service at sea in some capacity.

(2) A cook shall not be deemed to be duly certificated within the meaning of this section unless he is the holder of a certificate of competency in cooking granted by the Board of Trade or by some school of cookery or other institution approved for the purpose by that Board, or is the holder of certificates of discharge showing at least two years’ service as cook previously to the said thirtieth day of June nineteen hundred and eight.

(3) The cook shall be rated in the ship's articles as ship's cook, or in the case of ships of not more than two thousand tons gross tonnage, or ships in which the crew, or the majority of the crew, provide their own provisions, either as ship's cook or as cook and steward.

(4) In the case of an emigrant ship, the ship's cook shall be in addition to the cook required by section three hundred and four of the principal Act.

(5) If the requirements of this section, are not complied with in the case of any ship, the master or owner of the ship shall, if there is no sufficient reason for the failure to comply with the requirements, for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds.