(1)Except as provided by regulations under this section an official log book in a form approved by the Secretary of State shall be kept in every United Kingdom ship.
(2)The Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing the particulars to be entered in official log books, the persons by whom such entries are to be made, signed or witnessed, and the procedure to be followed in the making of such entries and in their amendment or cancellation.
(3)The regulations may require the production or delivery of official log books to such persons, in such circumstances and within such times as may be specified therein.
(4)Regulations under this section may exempt ships of any description from any requirements thereof, either generally or in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations.
(5)Regulations under this section may make a contravention of any provision thereof an offence punishable on summary conviction with a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale or not exceeding a lesser amount.
(6)If a person intentionally destroys or mutilates or renders illegible any entry in an official log book he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 77(1) restricted (13.12.2023) by S.I. 1981/569, reg. 2 (as substituted by The Merchant Shipping (Small Workboats and Pilot Boats) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1216), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 1(3) (with regs. 4, 6))