1 Every survey of a ship that is made before a certificate is issued or renewed shall consist of a complete survey of its structure, equipment, arrangements, materials and scantlings to ensure that the ship complies fully with the conditions of assignment of freeboards, prescribed for that ship in the General Load Line Rules or the Load Line Rules for Lakes and Rivers, whichever is applicable, and that the load line marks correspond with the assigned freeboards.

2 Every periodical inspection of a ship that is made after the issue of a certificate in respect of the ship shall consist of an inspection to ensure that

• (a) no material alterations have taken place in the hull or superstructures of the ship that would affect the positions of the load lines; and

• (b) the fittings and appliances for the protection of openings, the guard rails, the freeing ports and the means of access to the crew’s quarters, and, in the case of a ship assigned timber freeboards, the permanently attached fittings and appliances for securing and stowing the timber deck cargo have been maintained in as effective a condition as they were in when the certificate was issued.

3 When a periodical inspection is made of a ship and the surveyor is satisfied that the ship meets the requirements set out in paragraphs 2(a) and (b), he shall endorse the certificate to that effect in the space provided therefor.

4 Every society shall assign freeboards to ships in accordance with the provisions of the General Load Line Rules or the Load Line Rules for Lakes and Rivers, whichever is applicable.

5 No society shall issue or renew a Load Line Certificate for a ship unless

• (a) the ship has been surveyed in accordance with section 1;

• (b) the ship complies with the conditions of assignment of freeboards prescribed for that ship in the General Load Line Rules or the Load Line Rules for Lakes and Rivers, whichever is applicable; and

• (c) the ship is marked in accordance with the requirements of the General Load Line Rules or the Load Line Rules for Lakes and Rivers, whichever is applicable.

6 No society shall issue a Load Line Certificate for a period longer than five years, subject to its renewal from time to time for further periods, not exceeding five years each.

7 Every society shall report to the Minister every case where the owner of a ship has neglected to ensure that the ship is inspected as required by paragraphs 2(a) and (b).

8 The Load Line Certificate issued by a society shall be in the forms set out in the General Load Line Rules or the Load Line Rules for Lakes and Rivers, whichever is applicable, for a certificate.

9 Every society shall, upon issuing or renewing a Load Line Certificate, send to the Chairman

• (a) in the case of the survey

  • (i) a certified copy of the certificate issued for the ship,

  • (ii) a statement of the date and place of delivery of the certificate,

  • (iii) a certified copy of the calculations used to determine the freeboards, where new freeboards have been assigned, and

  • (iv) a copy of the surveyor’s record of all the details of the survey; and

• (b) in the case of an annual inspection,

  • (i) a copy of the surveyor’s report stating the result of the inspection,

  • (ii) a statement of the date and place of the inspection,

  • (iii) a statement that the certificate has been endorsed as required by section 3, and

  • (iv) a copy of any amendments to the surveyor’s record.