(1) For the purpose of ensuring that the provisions of this Act and any regulations made thereunder are duly complied with, an authorised officer may at all reasonable times inspect any ship and its equipment or any part thereof, any articles on board the ship and any document carried in the ship under this Act or any international convention relating to shipping to which Saint Lucia is a party and if the ship is registered in Saint Lucia the powers conferred by this section may also be exercised outside Saint Lucia by a proper officer in addition to an authorised officer.
(2) An authorised officer exercising powers under this section—
(a) shall not unnecessarily detain or delay a ship; and
(b) may, if the officer considers it necessary in consequence of an accident or for any other reason, require a ship to be taken into dock for a survey of the hull or machinery of the ship.
(3) Where an authorised officer has reasonable grounds for believing that there are on any premises provisions or water intended for supply to a ship registered or licensed in Saint Lucia which if provided on such ship would not be in accordance with any regulations made under section 168, that officer may enter such premises and inspect the provisions or water for the purpose of ascertaining whether they would be in accordance with such regulations.
(4) Any person who—
(a) obstructs an authorised officer in the exercise of his or her powers under this section;
(b) fails without reasonable cause to comply with any requirement made under subsection (2); or
(c) refuses or fails to give an authorised officer reasonable facilities for the exercise of his or her powers under this section,
commits an offence and on summary conviction is liable to a fine not exceeding $2,000.