Mercantile Marine Act, 1955

Rules as to name of ship.

67.—(1) A ship shall not be described by any name other than that by which she is for the time being registered.

(2) A change shall not be made in the name of a ship without the previous written permission of the Minister.

(3) Application for that permission shall be in writing, and if the Minister is of opinion that the application is reasonable he may entertain it, and thereupon require notice thereof to be published in such form and manner as he thinks fit.

(4) On permission being granted to change the name, the ship's name shall forthwith be altered in the register book, in the ship's certificate of registry and on her bows and stern.

(5) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the Minister that the name of any ship has been changed without his permission he shall direct that her name be altered into that which she bore before the change, and the name shall be altered in the register book, in the ship's certificate of registry and on her bows and stern accordingly.

(6) Where a ship having once been registered has ceased to be so registered no person, unless ignorant of the previous registry (proof whereof shall lie on him) shall apply to register, and no registrar shall knowingly register, the ship, except by the name by which she was previously registered, unless with the previous written permission of the Minister.

(7) In the case of a foreign ship which was not at any previous time registered under this Act, no person shall apply to register, and no registrar shall knowingly register, such ship under this Act except by the name she bears as a foreign ship, unless with the previous written permission of the Minister.

(8) If any person acts, or suffers any person under his control to act, in contravention of this section, or omits to do, or suffers any person under his control to omit to do, anything required by this section, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction thereof, to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, and (except in the case of a ship mentioned in subsection (7) of this section) the ship may be detained until this section is complied with.