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and bottom of the tanks and the deck forms the top. The manholes are
raised from 6 inches to 1 foot above the level of the deck and have steel
covers, fitted with locks to prevent unauthorised persons dipping water
from the tanks into buckets which may be dirty, while the craft is
unattended. It is the usual practice to clean the tanks every three
months and to cenent-wash them every six months.
All water boats must be registered annually with the Port of
London Authority and before a certificate is granted they must be
inspected as to their fitness for navigation in the river and docks.
Notification is received that a vessel is coming up for re-registration
by the Port of London Authority and this opportunity is taken by the
Port Health Authority to inspect the vessel as to its fitness for the
carriage of drinking water. The Port of London Authority await a
communication from the Port Health Authority stating that the vessel is
in a fit condition for the carriage of drinking water before issuing the
certificate. This arrangement has worked smoothly for a number of
years and enables your Officers to get such repairs and improvements as
are from time to time necessary, carried out without difficulty.
IV. PORT HEALTH REGULATIONS, 1933 and 19k5.
(a) Arrangements for dealing with Declarations of Health -
Ships bound for London coming up the English Channel take on a
Pilot off Dungeness, those coming across the North Sea take on a Pilot at
the Sunk Lightship, near Harwich. The Elder Brethren of Trinity House
have kindly agreed that Pilots should hand copies of the Declaration of
Health to the Masters of the ships they board, and accordingly supplies
of the Declaration of Health are sent, from time to time, to Trinity
[House. The Elder Brethren have, however, stipulated that pilots should
not be held responsible for any failure on the part of the Masters to
Icomply with the instructions of the Port Health Authority. Pilots have,
[however, co-operated willingly and conscientiously and consequently the
[arrangements are working very satisfactorily.
The Port Health Amendment Regulations, 19h5, necessitated a
; slight alteration to the Declaration of Health, page k of which
[(instructions) now reads as follows:-
INSTRUCTIONS
(applying only to the Port of London).
The Master of a foreign-going vessel approaching a Port in England
lor Wales from a Foreign Port must ascertain the state of health of all
Ipersons on board, and fill in and sign a Declaration of Health in the
prescribed form, which he must hand to the Customs Officer or to the Port
Medical Officer, whichever first boards the ship.
1. If the answer to any of the questions on page 1 is "YES", or if the
ship, EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF TANKERS, has called during the previous six
weeks at any of the following Ports;-
i
Ports in ASIA, including JAPAN, the EAST INDIES and CEYLON, AFRICA
including MADAGASGAR, the CANARY ISLANDS and CAPE VERDE ISLANDS,
TURKEY, BLACK SEA, AZORES, SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, GULF OF
MEXICO, WEST INDIES.
the Master must :-
(1) Send a wireless message to "PORTELTH LONDON", stating the name of
his vessel and the time* she is expected to arrive off Gravesend.
This message must be sent off not more than 12 hours and not less
than 4 hours before the arrival of the ship.
In the case of vessels bound for the Medway, the wireless
message must be addressed to "PORTELTH LONDON", but must be as
follows;-
"(NAME OF VESSEL) (TIME OF ARRIVAL) SHEERNESS."
NOTE. - If wireless is not carried, the Port Health Authority must be
| notified of the arrival of the ship as soon as possible.
(9)