Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 273

273. (1) The Minister may make regulations (in this Act referred to as the "deck car go regulations") prescribing requirements to be complied with where cargo is carried in any uncovered space on the deck of a ship to which the load line provisions of this Act apply; and different requirements may be so prescribed in relation to different descriptions of ships, diff erent descriptions of cargo, different voyages or classes of voyages, different seasons of the year and any other different circumsta nces. (2) If the load line rules provide (either generally or in particular cases or classes of cases) for assigning special fre eboards to ships which are to have effect only where a cargo of timber is so carried, then, without prejudice to the generality of the prece ding sub-article, the deck cargo regul ations may prescribe special requirements to be complied with in circumstances where any suc h special freeboard has effect. (3) In prescribing any such s pecial requirements as are mentioned in sub-article (2), the Minister shall have regard in particular to the relevant provi sions of the Load Line Conventi on. (4) If any provisions of the deck cargo regulations are contravened - (a) in the case of a Maltese ship, or (b) in the case of any other ship while the ship is in any port in Malta, the master of the ship shall, subject to the next following sub - article, be liab le to a fine ( multa) not exceeding on e thousand units. (5) Where a person is charged wit h an offence under sub-article (4), it shall be a defence to prove that the contravention was due 134 CAP. 234.] MERCHANT SHIPPING solely to deviation or delay and that the deviation or delay wa s caused solely by stress of weather or other circumstances which neither the master nor the owner nor the charterer (if any) cou ld have prevented or forestalled. (6) For the purpose of securing compliance with the deck cargo regulations, any person authorised in that behalf by the Minist er may inspect any ship to which the load line provisions of this Act apply which is carrying cargo in any uncovered space on her dec k; and for the purposes of any such inspection any such person sha ll have all the powers of a surveyor of ships. Miscellaneous and supplementary provisions Application of articles 224, 227, 229 and 231 to load line certificates.