Ship's Name
Under the Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance, Chapter 415, a Hong Kong registered ship must have a name in English alphabetic characters which may include numerals, or may have in addition to its English name, a name in Chinese, in which case each shall be a separate name. Chinese name alone is not allowed and it should not exceed 6 characters in the registration.
The Registrar may disallow the proposed name of a ship if it:
- (a) is already the name of a registered ship;
- (b) is a name so similar as to be likely to deceive; or
- (c) is undesirable for the purpose of registration in Hong Kong
Reserve a Ship's Name
An application to reserve a name for a ship which is intended to be registered in Hong Kong shall be made in the specified form (RS/A7) by a qualified person who is the owner of the ship, or by a person authorized by such owner for the purpose.
The following documents should be submitted together with the application form:
- (a) a copy of the HKID card of the applicant (for individual applicant); or
- (b) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation/Registration (for company); or
- (c) the signed & sealed "Form of Authority" (MD 652) if the form is completed by an officer other than the company director or the company secretary.
The validity for reserve a ship's name is three years.
Ship's marking
The ship's name in English or in English and Chinese must be marked on each side of the bow, and its name together with her port of registry (HONG KONG) must be marked on the stern permanently and conspicuously.