Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 251

251. (1) The Minister may make rules in accordance with the load line provisions of this Act, and in making those rules the Minister shall have regard in particular to the international convention entitled the International Convention on Load Lines signed in London on 5th April, 1966 or any other international convention or protocol relating to load lines ratified or acced ed to by the Government of Malta (in this Act referred to as “the Loa d Line Convention”). (2) The said rules (in this Act referred to as "the load line rules") may make provision: (a) for the surveying and periodical inspection of ships to which the load line provisions of this Act apply; (b) for determining freeboards to be assigned from time to time to such ships; 122 CAP. 234.] MERCHANT SHIPPING (c) for determining, in relation to any such ship, the deck which is to be taken to be the freeboard deck of the ship, and for requiring the position of that deck to be indicated on each side of the ship by a mark of a description prescrib ed by the rules; and (d) for determining, by reference to that mark and the freeboards for the time being assigned to any such ship, the position in which each side of the ship is to be marked with lines of a description prescribed by the rules, indicating the various maximum depths to which the ships may be loaded in circumstances prescribed by the rules. (3) The load line rules may include the following provisions, that is to say - (a) provisions specifying such r equirements in respect of the hulls, superstructures, fittings and appliances of ships to which the load line provisions of this Act apply as appear to the Minister to be relevant to the assignment of freeboards to such ships; (b) provisions whereby, at the time when freeboards are assigned to a ship in accord ance with the load line rules, such particulars relating to those requirements as may be determined in accordance with the rules are to be recorded in such manner as may be so determined; and (c) provisions for determining, by reference to those requirements and that record, whether, at any time after freeboards have been so assigned to a ship and while they continue to be so assigned, the ship is for the purposes of the load lin e provisions of this Act to b e t a k e n t o c o m p l y , o r n o t t o c o m p l y , w i t h t h e conditions of assignment, and those provisions shall be set out separately in the load li ne rules under the title of "rules a s to conditions of assignment" . (4) The load line rules may also include provisions requiring such information relating to the stability of any ship to which freeboards are assigned thereunde r, and such information relati ng to the loading and ballasting of such ship, as may be determine d in accordance with the rules to be provided for the guidance of th e master of the ship i n such manner as may be so determined. (5) In relation to any matter authorised or required by this Act to be prescribed by the load lin e rules, those rules may make different provision by reference to, or to any combination of, any of the following, that is to say different descriptions of ships, different areas, different seasons of the year and any other different circumstances. (6) Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, in the load line provisions of this Act, "deck-line" means such a mark as is referred to in sub-article (2)( c), and "load lines" means such lines as are referred to in paragraph ( d) of that sub-article. M E R C H A N T S H I P P I N G [CAP. 234. 123 (7) Any reference in sub-article (1) to an international convention or protocol shall include reference to any amendment to such convention or protocol ratified, acceded to or accepted by the Government of Malta. Maltese ships Compliance with load line rules. Amended by:  XIII. 1983.5; XXII. 2000.2.