Section 304: Ships not to proceed to sea without Load Line Certificate

(1)
Subject to any exemption granted under this part, no Nigerian ship being an international load line ship shall proceed to sea on an international voyage unless there is in force in respect of such ship an International Load Line Certificate.
(2)
No Nigerian ship, being a local load line ship, shall proceed to sea unless there is in force in respect of such ship a Local Load Line Certificate.
(3)
Any owner or master of a ship of which proceeds to sea contrary to the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section commits an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than one hundred thousand Naira.
(4)
The master of every Nigerian load line ship shall produce to the customs officer from whom a clearance for the ship is demanded the certificate that is required by this section to be in force when the ship proceeds to sea; and a clearance shall not be granted and the ship shall be detained until that certificate is produced.