(1) An official voucher authorising the vessel to sail under its flag. This voucher consists of a Certificate of Registry, in case the flag State possesses, like Great Britain and Germany for instance, a register of its mercantile marine; in other cases the voucher consists of a "Passport," "Sea-letter," "Sea-brief," or of some other document serving the purpose of showing the vessel's nationality.
(2) The Muster Roll. This is a list of all the members of the crew, their nationality, and the like.
(3) The Log Book. This is a full record of the voyage, with all nautical details.
(4) The Manifest of Cargo. This is a list of the cargo of a vessel, with details concerning the number and the mark of each package, the names of the shippers and the consignees, and the like.
(5) The Bills of Lading. These are duplicates of the documents which the master of the vessel hands over to the shipper of the goods at shipment.
(6) The Charter Party, if the vessel is chartered. This is the contract between the owner of the ship, who lets it wholly or in part, and the charterer, the person who hires it.
Names of Vessels.
§ 263. Every State must register the names of all private vessels sailing under its flag, and it must make them bear their names visibly, so that every vessel may be identified from a distance. No vessel must be allowed to change her name without permission and fresh registration.[523]
[523] As regards Great Britain, see sections 47 and 48 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, and sections 50 and 53 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906.
Territorial Quality of Vessels on the Open Sea.