(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 (1966) on board the
ship, such control shall be limited to the purpose of determining
that:
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(a) the ship is not loaded beyond the limits allowed
by the certificate;
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(b) the position of the load line of the ship
corresponds with the certificate; and
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(c) the ship has not been so materially altered
in respect of the matters set out in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of
paragraph (3) 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.