A ship
may be operated as per the provisional certificate of nationality until six
months after the date issuance of the provisional certificate of
nationality while action is being taken for the registration of the ship or
until the ship arrives at any port of India, whoever date occurs earlier,
and in such a situation, the provisional certificate of nationality shall be
the same as the registration certificate.
Provided that, any ship shall not obtain the provisional certificate
more than once except in the circumstance as referred to in Clause (b) of
Sub-section (1) of Section 16.