Article 21 - Control
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Conventions - Load Lines, 1966/1988 - International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, as Amended by the Protocol of 1988 - Articles of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 - Article 21 - Control

Article 21 - Control

  (1) Ships holding a certificate issued under Article 16 or Article 17 are subject, when in the ports of other Contracting Governments, to control by officers duly authorized by such Governments. Contracting Governments shall ensure that such control is exercised as far as is reasonable and practicable with a view to verifying that there is on board a valid certificate under the present Convention. If there is a valid International Load Line Certificate on board the ship, such control shall be limited to the purpose of determining that:

  • (a) the ship is not loaded beyond the limits allowed by the certificate;

  • (b) the position of the load line of the ship corresponds with the certificate; and

  • (c) the ship has not been so materially altered in respect of the matters set out in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (9) of Article 19 that the ship is manifestly unfit to proceed to sea without danger to human life.

If there is a valid International Load Line Exemption Certificate on board, such control shall be limited to the purpose of determining that any conditions stipulated in that certificate are complied with.

  (2) If such control is exercised under sub-paragraph (c) of paragraph (1) of this Article, it shall only be exercised in so far as may be necessary to ensure that the ship shall not sail until it can proceed to sea without danger to the passengers or the crew.

  (3) In the event of the control provided for in this Article giving rise to intervention of any kind, the officer carrying out the control shall immediately inform in writing the Consul or the diplomatic representative of the State whose flag the ship is flying of this decision and of all the circumstances in which intervention was deemed to be necessary.

Parent topic: Articles of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966
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