Merchant Shipping Act 1894

289 Preliminary survey of emigrant ship.

(1) An emigrant ship, in respect of which a passenger steamer's certificate is not in force, shall not clear outwards or proceed to sea on any voyage unless she has been surveyed under the direction of the emigration officer at the port of clearance, but at the expense of the owner or charterer thereof, by two or more competent surveyors to be appointed at any port in the British Islands where there is an emigration officer by the Board of Trade, and at other ports by the Commissioners of Customs, and has been reported by such surveyors to be in their opinion seaworthy and fit for her intended voyage.

(2) The survey shall be made before any portion of the cargo is taken on board, except so much as may be necessary for ballasting the ship, and such portion of cargo if laden on board shall be shifted, if required by the emigration officer or the surveyors, so as to expose to view successively every part of the frame of the ship.

(3) If any such surveyors report that the ship is not seaworthy, or not fit for her intended voyage, the owner or charterer may, if he thinks fit, by writing under his hand require the emigration officer to appoint three other competent surveyors (of whom two at least must be shipwrights) to survey the ship at the expense of the owner or charterer, and the said officer shall thereupon appoint such surveyors, and they shall survey the ship and if by unanimous report under their hands, but not otherwise, they declare the ship to be seaworthy and fit for her intended voyage, the ship shall for the purposes of this Part of the Act be deemed seaworthy and fit for that voyage.

(4) If any requirement of this section is not complied with in the case of any emigrant ship, the owner charterer or master of the ship or any of them shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.