Mercantile Marine Act, 1955

Marking of ship.

26.—(1) Every ship shall, before registry under this Act, be marked permanently and conspicuously to the satisfaction of the Minister in the following manner:—

(a) the ship's name shall be marked on each of her bows, and her name and the name of her port of registry shall be marked on her stern, on a dark ground in white or yellow letters, or on a light ground in black letters, and the letters shall be not less than four inches in length and of proportionate breadth;

(b) the ship's official number and the number denoting her registered tonnage shall be cut on her main beam;

(c) a scale of feet denoting the ship's draught of water shall be marked on each side of her stem and of her stern post in Roman capital letters or in figures not less than six inches in length, the lower line of such letters or figures to coincide with the draught line denoted thereby, and those lines or figures shall be marked by being cut in and painted white or yellow on a dark ground, or in such other way as the Minister approves.

(2) The Minister may exempt any class of ships from all or any of the requirements of this section, and a fishing boat entered in the fishing boat register and lettered and numbered in pursuance of Part IV of the Act of 1894 need not have her name and port of registry marked under this section.

(3) If the scale of feet showing the ship's draught of water is in any respect inaccurate so as to be likely to mislead, the owner of the ship shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction thereof, to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.

(4) The marks required by this section shall be permanently continued, and no alteration shall be made therein except in the event of any of the particulars thereby denoted being altered in the manner provided by this Act.

(5) If an owner or master of a ship neglects to cause his ship to be marked as required by this section, or to keep her so marked, or if any person conceals, removes, alters, defaces or obliterates, or suffers any person under his control to conceal, remove, alter, deface or obliterate any of the said marks, except in the event aforesaid or except for the purpose of escaping capture by an enemy, that owner, master or person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction thereof, to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.

(6) On a certificate from a surveyor of ships or inspector under the Act of 1894 that a ship is insufficiently or inaccurately marked the ship may be detained until the insufficiency or inaccuracy has been remedied.