Cap. 234 Art. 15Marking of ship.

(1) Every ship shall before registry be marked permanently and conspicuously to the satisfaction of the registrar as follows:

(a) her name shall be marked on each of her bows and her name and the name of the home port shall be marked on her stern, on a dark ground in white or yellow letters or on a light ground in black letters, such letters to be of a length of not less than ten centimetres and of proportionate breadth;

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

(c) her International Maritime Organization (IMO) Identification Number, where applicable, shall be marked in accordance to the Safety Convention; and

(d) her draught shall be marked in accordance to the Load Line Convention.

(2) The Registrar-General may exempt any class of ships from all or any of the requirements of this article under such conditions as he may deem appropriate.

(3) If the scale 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 liable to a fine (multa) not exceeding one hundred units.

(4) The marks required by this article 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 any owner or master of a ship neglects to keep his ship marked as required by this article, 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 for each offence be liable to a fine (multa) not exceeding one hundred units, and, on a certificate from a surveyor of ships that a ship is insufficiently or inaccurately marked, the ship may be detained until the insufficiency or inaccuracy has been remedied.