Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 268

268. (1) In this article any reference to exempting a ship is a reference to exempting a ship either - (a) from all the load line provisions of this Act and of the load line rules, or (b) from such of those provisions as are specified in the instrument conferring the exemption. (2) On the application of the own er of a Maltese ship to which the load line provisions of this A ct apply and which is either an existing ship of not less than one hundred and fifty tons gross tonnage or a new ship of not less than twenty-four metres in le ngth, the Minister may exempt the ship if in his opinion the ship embodies features of a novel kind such that, if the ship had to comply with all the requirements of the load line provisions of this Act and of the load line rules, the development of those featur es and their incorporation in ships on international voyages might be seriously impeded. (3) On the application of the own er of a Maltese ship to which the load line provisions of this Act apply and which is either - (a) an existing ship of less than one hundred and fifty tons gross tonnage or a new ship of less than twenty-four metres in length, or (b) a ship (not falling within the preceding paragraph) which does not ply on international voyages, the Minister may exempt the ship. (4) Without prejudice to the last preceding sub-article, where a Maltese ship to which the load line provisions of this Act appl y and which is either an existing ship of not less than one hundred a nd fifty tons gross tonnage or a new ship of not less than twenty- four 132 CAP. 234.] MERCHANT SHIPPING metres in length, does not ply on international voyages but is, in exceptional circumstances, required to undertake a single international voyage, the Minister, on the application of the o wner of the ship, specifying the international voyage in question, m ay exempt the ship while engaged on that voyage. (5) Any exemption conferred under this article may be conferred subject to such conditions as the Minister thinks fit ; and, where any such exempti on is conferred subject to conditions, th e exemption shall not have effect unless those conditions are complied with. Issue of exemption certificates.