Merchant Shipping Act 1995 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4 · Crew Matters
53. Crew agreements
Feedback & supportExcept as provided under subsection (4), a written agreement —
must be made between each person employed as a seaman on a ship and the person employing that seaman; and
must be signed both by the person employed as a seaman on a ship and by or on behalf of the person employing that seaman.
The agreements made under this section with the several persons employed on a ship must be contained in one document (called in this Act a crew agreement) except that in any cases that the Director may approve —
ship
“ship” means any kind of vessel used in navigation by water, however propelled or moved and includes —(a)a barge, lighter or other floating vessel;(b)an air-cushion vehicle, or other similar craft, used wholly or primarily in navigation by water; and(c)an off-shore industry mobile unit;
the agreements to be made under this section with the persons employed on a ship may be contained in more than one crew agreement; and
one crew agreement may relate to more than one ship.
Subject to this section, a crew agreement must be carried in the ship to which the agreement relates whenever the ship goes to sea.
This section does not apply to any ship of less than 25 net tons exclusively employed in trading within any limits that are prescribed by regulations.
If a ship goes to sea or attempts to go to sea in contravention of the requirements of this section, the master or the person employing the crew of the ship shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000, and the ship may be detained.