Power of detention of unsafe vessel

(1) Where a vessel which proceeds or is about to proceed on a voyage is an unsafe vessel, a justice of the peace, an officer of the Belize Coast Guard, an officer of customs, member of the Belize Police Department or an authorised person of the Port Authority may detain such vessel and immediately report the detention and the reasons for the detention of the vessel to the (2) For the purposes of this section, a vessel is an unsafe vessel if– (a) there has been failure to comply with any of the provisions of this Act; or (b) by reason of– (i) the defective condition of the vessel’s hull, equipment or machinery; (ii) the under manning or overloading or the improper loading of the vessel or the insufficient life-saving apparatus on board the vessel, such vessel is unfit to proceed without serious danger to human life, having regard to the nature of the service for which the vessel is intended. (3) Where any vessel has been so detained, the Harbour (a) issue an order authorising the detaining officer to permit the vessel to proceed on such conditions as the Harbour Master may prescribe; (b) deal with the vessel under Part IV; Harbours and Merchant Shipping [CAP. 234 21 (c) make any other order which may be deemed necessary. (4) If the master of any vessel so detained acts in contravention of any order made by the Harbour Master under this section, he commits an offence and is liable to a fine of one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months. send vessel on a