LESSON 7

EXAMINING THE SHIP BY THE CUSTOMS

WORDS
to report
to fill up (in)
blank form
report list
ships papers
ship register
manifest of cargo
list of stores
search note
to search
to rummage
unentered goods
spirits
perfumes
photocamera
to smuggle
radio room
entry outward
victualling bill
port clearance
private
property
to belong
particulars
block capitals
victuals

a raporta, a anunta
a completa
formular
declaratie de sosire
documentele navei
certificat de registru
manifestul incarcaturii
lista de provizii si materiale din cambuza
nota de perchezitie
a cauta, a verifica
a perchezitiona
marfuri nedeclarate
spirtoase
parfumuri
aparat de fotografiat
a face contrabanda
cabina statiei radio
declaratie la intrare
lista de provizii
permis de plecare
particular, personal
bunuri personale, proprietate
a apartine
detalii, amanunte
litere de tipar
provizii, alimente

as a matter of fact
goods liable to duty (dutiable goods)
to impose import (export) duty on
to place the stores under seal
the ships store bond

to clear in (inwards)
to clear out (outwards)
to enter the vessel inwards (outwards)
to make up a list
it doesnt matter

de fapt
marfuri supuse taxelor vamale
a impune taxe vamale de import (export)
a pune bunuri sub sigiliu
bunuri scutite de vama, folosite in exclusivitate
de echipaj
a trece prin vama la sosire
a trece prin vama la plecare
a indeplini formalitati vamale la sosire (plecare)
a intocmi o lista
nu conteaza, n-are importanta

EXPRESSIONS

TEXT
It is required that the Master of a ship shall report his vessel to the Custom House
within 24 hours of arrival in a foreign port. That means that the Captain is to fill up the blank
form of the Captains Declaration or Report List and to hand it over to the customs together
with certain ships papers. Usually, the following papers are required for entering inwards: ship
register, certificate of pratique, bill of health, manifest of cargo, list of stores, search note and
others.
As a matter of fact, all the formalities connected with clearing in and clearing out are
fulfilled by the ships agent.
The customs officers come aboard the ship to search or rummage the vessel for
unentered goods and to see if there are any prohibited goods or goods liable to duty.
It is well known that each country imposes import duties on certain goods brought into
the country.
To prevent smuggling such goods as spirits, wines, cigarettes, tabacco, perfumes, ,
photocameras and others, the customs officers request the Captain to give the ships store bond
on dutiable goods kept aboard for use of the ships crew and passengers.
The customs officers sometimes leave for the crew only a certain quota and place under
seal the surplus stores.
Before any cargo is allowed to be shipped, the vessel must be entered outwards. This is
done by the Master signing the Entry outward form and delivering it to the customs.
Leaving the port, the ship must have: the clearance label with the seal (which is
sometimes called the Cocked Card), the victualling bill, the port clearance and the bill of
health.

DIALOGUES
1.
Customs Officer: According to your cargo manifest, Hold No.1 contains any transit goods,
doesnt it?
Second Mate: Yes, thats right.
Customs Officer: Well have to seal that hold up.
2.
Customs Officer: We are under duty to search your vessel, Sir. Have you got any prohibited
goods aboard?
Captain: What do you mean by prohibited goods?
Customs Officer: Oh, I am sorry. Heres a list of prohibited goods. Will you be kind enough
to look it through?
Captain: So far as I can see, all the items have been accounted for in my report list, except,
perhaps, the photocameras.
Customs Officer: I have your list of stores, Sir. These you may keep for your crews needs.
Ill only ask you to sign the ships store bond. Well have also to place some of your storerooms under seal.
Captain: All right. What about the photocameras? They are private property of the ships
crew; they do not belong to the ship.

Customs Officer: It doesnt matter. You know, it is prohibited to sell photocameras here
without paying the import duty. So, please, make up a list of all photocameras which you have
on board. Here is the blank form.
Captain: What particulars must I fill in?
Customs Officer: Fill in, please, the name of your ship, the date of her arrival, and then in
these columns the names of your men who have photocameras. Use block capitals, please.
3.
Customs Officer: Ill ask you kindly, Sir, to let us seal up the radio room.
Captain: Well, sit down, please. Ill send somebody for the radio-operator to show you up to
the radio room. Is there anything else I can do for you?
Customs Officer: You see, tabacco, cigarettes and spirits above the quota must be stored
under seal in a separate place. So, I must see and put some of your store rooms under seal.
Captain: Ill call our chief steward presently. He will attend to this business. Shall I sign any
documents for you?
Customs Officer: Yes, Sir. As soon as we finish rummaging, well make out a search note,
which you are to sign. After that, the Customs will issue the inward clearing bill or jerque note.
Captain: Must we pay export duty on the victuals which we want to buy here for the ships
crew?
Customs Officer: No, of course not. But you must get from the Customs a special document
which is called Victualling Bill. You will need this bill when clearing out.
Captain: How must I get this bill?
Customs Officer: Oh, you neednt worry about that. Your agent will arrange this business.

EXERCISES
I. Read the text of the lesson again and answer the following questions:
1. To whom shall the Master report his ships arrival in port?
2. Within how many hours should he do so?
3. What blank form is he to fill in?
4. To whom is this declaration handed over?
5. What papers are required to enter a vessel inwards?
6. Who fulfils all this formalities?
7. What do the customs officers come aboard for?
8. What should they search for?
9. What do we call the money which we pay on the imported goods?
10.What goods are often smuggled into a country?
11.What document do the Customs request from the ship to prevent such smuggling?
12. What is usually done with the surplus stores?
13. When should a vessel entered outwards?
14.How is a vessel entered outwards?

II. Read the dialogues again and answer the following questions:
Dialogue 1
1. Why was the customs officer going to seal up Hold No.1?

Dialogue 2
1. What did the customs officer come for?
2. Were all the items included in the Captains Report?
3. Whose property was the photocameras?
4. Did it matter whether the photocameras belonged to the ship or to the crew?
5. What did the customs officer say about selling photocameras?
6. What blank form did he give the Captain to fill in?
7. What particulars was the Captain to fill in the form?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Dialogue 3
Why did the customs officer come to the ship again?
What did the Captain say about the radio operator?
what else did the customs officer want to seal up?
Who was to attend to the sealing up of the store rooms?
Who was to sign the search note?
Was the ship to pay export duty on the victuals they had bought at the port?
Who was to obtain the Victualling Bill ?

Model:

III. Ask questions using the model:

The Captain is (was) to fill in these blank forms.
Who is (was) to fill in these blank forms?

The customs officer was to seal up the hold.

They are to pay import duties on these goods.
3. The customs officers were under duty to search the ship.
4. The chief steward is to attend to this business.
5. Our agent is to arrange this matter.
1.
2.

IV. Read the short dialogues, repeat each sentence during the pauses and learn the
dialogues by heart:
Weve used up all the cigarettes you left us under the quota. We need some more now.
Oh, I see. Do you want me to unseal the store room?
Yes, please. We want to take our daily quota.
Will you fill in this blank form, please?
What is it for?
Its for entering your ship outwards.
I see. What particulars shall I fill in?
Its all written here, but I can help you.
Oh, thank you !
V. Read and translate into Romanian:
Every country imposes import duties on some goods brought into the country. The
Customs House is the Department of Government which collects this duties. The customs
officers are to attend to this business. they see to all formalities that must be fulfilled.
Smuggling of goods is a secret bringing of goods without paying import taxes. The customs

officers are to prevent smuggling. For this purpose they come aboard ships, check and place the
surplus stores under seal, search for unentered goods and assist to fill in all official documents.
According to Regulations, every ship must be reported to the Customs on arrival. The
ship must be entered inwards before she starts discharging her cargo. In other words, she must
be cleared in. Before she can start loading the goods in this port, she must be entered outwards.
These formalities are usually done by the ships agent. The Captain is required to do a lot of
other things in this connection. He is required to fill in and sign some documents, to present the
necessary ships papers and to see to if that everything is in good order.
VI. Read and translate the following notice issued by the French Customs for vessels
entering the port of Dunkerque:
MOST IMPORTANT
All Cigars, Cigarettes, Tabacco, Matches, Playing Card, Opium should be collected in
one place before arrival. If this is not done, the vessel may be subject to very heavy Customs
fine. The form should be accurately filled in, and if necessary, further items added, so that the
Custom Officers upon inspection will find all commodities specified.
To avoid a fine, Captains are advised to save their manifest of cargo and stores made
out as carefully as possible, and dated and signed before entering the harbour. The different
kinds of cargo should be stated according to Bills of Lading, and should the whole or part of
the cargo be in bags, bales, barrels, casks or other packages, the number of such should be
noted exactly, also the quantity of dunnage, mats, wood, etc. used for stowage.