Merchant Shipping Act 1894

Name of Ship.

47 Rules as to name of ship.

(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 Board of Trade.

(3) Application for that permission shall be in writing, and if the Board are of opinion that the application is reasonable they may entertain it, and thereupon require notice thereof to be published in such form and manner as they think 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 Board of Trade that the name of any ship has been changed without their permission they 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 Board of Trade.

(7) Where a foreign ship, not having at any previous time been registered as a British ship, becomes a British ship, no person shall apply to register, and no registrar shall knowingly register, the ship, except by the name which she bore as a foreign ship immediately before becoming a British ship, unless with the previous written permission of the Board of Trade.

(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 for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, and (except in the case of an application being made under the section with respect to a foreign ship which not having at any previous time been registered as a British ship has become a British ship) the ship may be detained until this section is complied with.