🔍 Key Concepts

• Maritime protest purpose and when it is made (after heavy weather, damage, or extraordinary events) • Who is legally empowered in a U.S. port to administer oaths and take sworn statements from a Master • Difference between roles: regulatory/enforcement officials vs civil officers who record legal documents

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Is a maritime protest mainly a customs/regulatory report, or is it a sworn legal document meant to protect the owner and Master from cargo or damage claims? • Which of the listed officials routinely handles legal oaths, affidavits, and recording of formal declarations for court or insurance use? • Think about whether Coast Guard or customs officers normally prepare documents for civil courts, or whether another type of official usually fills that role.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which role is primarily associated with recording sworn legal documents rather than enforcing maritime safety or customs laws. • Check which office in a U.S. port a Master would most likely visit to make a sworn statement for insurance and liability protection, not to report a statutory violation. • Confirm that a maritime protest is intended as evidence in potential legal proceedings, and match that purpose with the official best suited to provide such evidence.