Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 266

266. (1) Subject to the following pro visions of this article, a ship surveyor or engineer surveyor may inspect any foreign ship to which the load line provisions of this Act apply while the ship is within any port in Malta. (2) Without prejudice to the powers conferred by article 368, any such surveyor may go on board any ship to which article 261 applies, while the ship is withi n any port in Malta, for the pu rpose of demanding production of any International Load Line Certific ate (1966) or Malta load l ine certificate for the time being in for ce in respect of the ship. (3) If on any such demand a va lid Convention certificate is produced to the surveyor in respect of the ship, the powers of the surveyor under article 368(1) shall be limited to seeing - (a) that the ship is not loaded beyond the limits allowed by the certificate; (b) that lines are marked on the ship in the positions of the load lines specified in the certificate; (c) that no material alterations have taken place in the hull or superstructures of the sh ip which affect the position in which any of those lines ought to be marked; and (d) that the fittings and appliances for the protection of openings, the guard rails, the freeing ports and the means of access to the crew’s quarters have been maintained on the ship in as effective a condition as they were in when the certificate was issued. (4) If on an inspection of a ship under this article the ship is found to have been so materially altered in respect of the matt ers referred to in paragraph ( c) or paragraph ( d) of sub-article (3) that the ship is manifestly unfit to proceed to sea without danger t o human life, then article 283 shall have effect in relation to t he ship as if she were unsafe by reason of one of the matters specified in that article. (5) When a ship is detained under article 283 as applied by this article, the Minister shall order the ship to be released as so on as he is satisfied that the ship is fit to proceed to sea without dan ger to human life. Exemptions Power to make exemption orders.