The owner, charterer or manager of a ship or any other person shall not prevent or restrict the master of the ship from taking or executing any decision which, in the master’s professional judgement, is necessary for the safe navigation of the ship.
In the application of these Regulations to hovercraft, references in regulation 3 above to a ship shall be taken to include references to a hovercraft and references to the master of the ship shall be taken to include references to the captain of the hovercraft.
Any contravention of these Regulations by any person without reasonable excuse shall be an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum and on conviction on indictment by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both.