Section 367: Issue, duration and extension of load line certificate

367. Issue, duration and extension of load line certificate.—(1) Where a Pakistani ship has been surveyed and marked in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 24 and complies with the conditions of assignment to the extent required in her case by those provisions, there shall be issued to the owner of the ship on his application and on payment of the prescribed fees,— (a) in the case of a ship of a gross tonnage of not less than one hundred and fifty, and in the case of a ship not less than twenty-four metres (79 feet), in length on which the load line Convention applies, a certificate to be called an inter- national load line certificate; and (b) in the case of any other ship, a certificate to be called a Pakistan load line certificate. Provided that no certificate under thus sub-section shall be issued in respect of a ship before the expiry of the similar certificate last issued. (2) Every such certificate shall be issued either by the Federal Government or by a recognised organization authorised by it in this behalf and shall be issued in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the load line rules. (3) The Federal Government may request the Government of a country to which the Load Line Convention applies, to issue a load line certificate in the form of an international load line certificate under that Convention in respect of a Pakistani ship, and a certificate issued in pursuance of such a request and maintaining a statement that it has been so issued shall have effect for the purposes of this Chapter as if it had been issued by the Federal Government. (4) Where in respect of a ship a certificate issued under this section and for the time being in force is produced— (a) the ship shall be deemed to have been surveyed in accordance with the load line rules; and (b) if lines are marked on the ship corresponding in number description to the deck line and load lines as required by the load line rules and the position of those lines so marked corresponds with the position of the deck line and load lines specified in the certificate, the ship shall be deemed to be marked as required by those rules. (5) Every load line certificate issued by, or under the authority of, the Federal Government shall, unless it is extended in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (6), expire at the end of such period, not exceeding five years from the date of its issue or as maybe specified therein. (6) Any such load line certificate may, after a survey not less effective than the survey required by the load line rules before the issue of the certificate, be extended by the Federal Government or by a person authorised by it to issue a load line certificate, for such period not exceeding five months as the Federal Government or the person extending the certificate thinks fit: Provided that no certificate in respect of a ship shall be extended if there have been such alterations in the structure, equipment, arrangements, materials or scantlings as to affect the free- board originally assigned to the ship. (7) An extension of a certificate under sub-section (6) shall be endorsed on the certificate in the manner provided by the load line rules. (8) The Federal Government may cancel any such load line certificate in force in respect of a ship if it has reason to believe that— (a) material alterations have taken place in the hull or superstructures of the ship which effect the position of the load lines; or (b) the fittings and appliances for the protection of openings, the guard rails, the freeing ports or the means of access to the crew’s quarters have not been maintained on the ship in as effective a condition as they were in, when the certificate was issued; or (c) the markings of the deck line and load lines on the ship have not been properly maintained. (9) The owner of a ship in respect of which any such certificate has been issued shall, so long as the certificate remains in force, cause the ship to be periodically inspected in such manner and at such intervals as may be prescribed by the load line rules; and if the ship is not caused to be so inspected, the Federal Government shall cancel the certificate. (10) Where any such load line certificate has expired or been cancelled, the Federal Government may require the owner or master of the ship to which the certificate relates to deliver up the certificate as it directs, and the ship may be detained until such requirement has been complied with, and if the owner or master fails without reasonable cause to comply with such requirement, he shall, for each offence, be liable to a fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees. (11) On the survey of any ship in pursuance of this section there shall be paid by the owner of the ship such fee may be prescribed.

Effective date: 2001-01-01

Related sections