RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FREEBOARD. 133 
by the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary of Commerce may, in his discretion, 
revoke any appointment made pursuant to this section. Such corporation, associa- 
tion, or officer shall, upon approving the position and manner of marking such load 
line or lines, issue a certificate in a form to be prescribed by the Secretary of Com- 
merce, that the same is in accordance with the provisions of this act and of the 
regulations established thereunder, and shall deliver a copy thereof to the master 
of the vessel. It shall be unlawful for any vessel subject to this act and to said 
regulations to depart from her loading port or place without bearing such mark or 
marks, approved and certified by such corporation, association, or officer, and with- 
out having on board a copy of said certificate. 
SEc. 4. That it shall be unlawful for any vessel subject to this act and to the 
regulations established thereunder to be so loaded as to submerge, in salt water, 
the load line or lines marked pursuant to this act and to the regulations established 
thereunder, applicable to her voyage; or so as to submerge under like conditions 
the point where such load line or lines ought to be marked pursuant to the provisions 
of this act and of the regulations established thereunder; or so as in any manner to 
violate the said regulations. 
SEc. 5. That whenever the Secretary of Commerce shall certify that the laws 
and regulations in force in any foreign country relating to load lines are equally 
effective with the regulations established under this act, the Secretary of Commerce 
may direct, on proof that a vessel of that country has complied with such foreign 
laws and regulations, that such vessel and her master and owner shall be exempted 
from compliance with the provisions of this act, except as hereinafter provided: 
Provided, That this section shall not apply to the vessels of any foreign country 
which does not similarly recognize the load lines established under this act and the 
regulations made thereunder. 
SEc. 6. That it shall be the duty of the master of every vessel subject to this 
act and to the regulations established thereunder and of every foreign vessel 
exempted pursuant to section 5 of this act, before departing from her loading port 
or place for a voyage by sea, to enter in the official log book of such vessel (if any) 
a statement of the position of the load line mark applicable to the voyage in question 
with reference to the actual water line at the time of departing from port, as nearly 
as the same can be ascertained. 
SEc. 7. That if any collector of customs has reason to believe, on complaint 
or otherwise, that a vessel subject to this act and to the regulations established 
thereunder is about to proceed to sea from a port in the United States or its posses- 
sions within his district, when loaded in violation of section 4 of this act; or that 
any vessel exempted pursuant to section 5 of this act is about to proceed to sea 
from such port, when loaded in violation of the laws and regulations of her country 
with respect to load line, he may by written order served on the master or officer in 
charge of such vessel detain her provisionally for the purpose of being surveyed. 
The collector shall then serve on the master a written statement of the grounds of 
her detention and shall appoint three disinterested surveyors to examine the vessel 
and her loading and to report to him; whereupon the said collector may release or 
