No. S 57
Merchant Shipping Act 1995
(Act 19 of 1995)
Merchant Shipping (Load Line) (Amendment) Regulations 1996
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, the Minister for Communications hereby makes the following Regulations:
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Load Line) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 and shall come into operation on 2nd February 1996.
2.  Regulation 1 of Chapter I of the Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Regulations (referred to in these Regulations as the principal Regulations) is amended —
(a)by deleting the word “Minister” in the definition of “approved” and substituting the word “Director”;
(b)by deleting the definition of “Convention country” and substituting the following definition:
“ “Convention country” means a country the government of which has accepted the Convention;”; and
(b)by deleting the definition of “new ship” and substituting the following definition:
“ “new ship” means a ship, the keel of which is laid, or which is at a similar stage of construction, on or after 21st December 1971.”.
[Rg 5.]
3.  The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after Regulation 1 of Chapter I, the following Regulation:
Regulation 1A
Application
These Regulations shall apply to all ships engaged on international voyages except —
(a)ships of war;
(b)wooden ships of primitive build not fitted with any mechanical means of propulsion;
(c)ships solely employed in the fishing industry; and
(d)pleasure yachts not engaged in trade.”.
4.  Regulation 2 of Chapter I of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (1) and substituting the following paragraph:
(1)  The Certifying Authority for the purposes of these Regulations shall be the Director of Marine and any other organisation authorised by the Minister under the Merchant Shipping (Authorised Organisations) Regulations 1996.
[G.N. No.]
[S 44/96”.]
5.  Regulation 11 of Chapter I of the principal Regulations is deleted and the following Regulation substituted therefor:
Regulation 11
Exemption and Exemption Certificates
(1)  Ships when engaged on international voyages between the near neighbouring ports of two or more Convention countries may be exempted by the Director from the provisions of these Regulations, so long as they are engaged on such voyages, if the Director and the governments of the states in which such ports are situated are satisfied that the sheltered nature or conditions of such voyages between such ports make it unreasonable or impractical to apply the provisions of these Regulations to ships engaged on such voyages.
(2)  The Director may exempt any ship which embodies features of a novel kind from any of the provisions of these Regulations the application of which might seriously impede research into the development of such features and their incorporation in ships engaged on international voyages. Any such ship shall, however, comply with safety requirements which, in the opinion of the Director, are adequate for the service for which it is intended and are such as to ensure the overall safety of the ship.
(3)  A ship which is not normally engaged on international voyages but which, in exceptional circumstances, is required to undertake a single international voyage may be exempted by the Director from any of the requirements of these Regulations, provided that it complies with safety requirements which, in the opinion of the Director, are adequate for the voyage which is to be undertaken by the ship.
(4)  A ship which is exempted under the provisions of this Regulation shall be issued with an International Load Line Exemption Certificate or a Local Freeboard Exemption Certificate.”.
6.  The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after Regulation 26 of Chapter I, the following Regulations:
Regulation 27
Posting up of certificates
All certificates issued under these Regulations or certified copies thereof shall be posted up in a conspicuous place in the ship.
Regulation 28
Penalty
(1)  The owner and the master of a ship to which these Regulations apply shall —
(a)comply with these Regulations in respect of any matter that is governed thereby; and
(b)ensure that the ship and its equipment comply with these Regulations.
(2)  Any owner or master who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and the ship may be detained.”.
7.  Regulation 18 of Chapter IV of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “surveyor” in the fourth line and substituting the words “Certifying Authority”.
8.  Regulation 22 of Chapter IV of the principal regulations is amended by deleting the word “Part” in the second line and substituting the word “Chapter”.
9.  Chapter VI of the principal Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after Form C, the following Form:
FORM D
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN”.

Made this 30th day of January 1996.

TEO MING KIAN
      Permanent Secretary,     
Ministry of Communications,
Singapore.        
[MARINE 0140/2B; AG/SL/10/92 Vol. 2]