Load Line Covention

8/10/2019 Load Line Covention

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LOAD LINE


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History

Historically, ships have always been marked with varioussigns of protection, some more for superstitious reasons

than for practical safety.

It was not until the 19th century that attempts were made to

force ships to carry safety loading marks; the lead beingtaken by Lloyds Register of Shipping in 1835.

However, the load line regulations that we know of today

started with a man called Samuel Plimsoll.


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Samuel Plimsoll


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Samuel Plimsoll

Samuel Plimsoll, the M.P. for Derby, was particularlyconcerned with the negligence of some ship owners and the

indifference of the government to the issue of marine

safety.

In 1876 he managed to persuade Parliament to amend theMerchant Shipping Act to provide for the marking of a line

on a ship's sides which would disappear below the water if

the ship was overloaded and therefore un-seaworthy.


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Load Line Regulations

The standard position of the load line marking was not fixeduntil the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 and applied only to

British registered vessels.

By 1906 foreign vessels were also required to carry load

line markings within British waters.The present Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and the Merchant

Shipping (Load Line)Regulations 1998 requires all U.K.

registered vessels (unless exempt) to be surveyed, marked

with load lines and issued with a certificate.


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Load Line Rule Exemptions

Automatic exemptions apply to:-Ships of war.

Ships solely engaged in fishing.

Pleasure yachts not engaged in trade.

Certain other exemptions may be applied e.g.

Ships under 80 n.t.engaged solely in the coasting trade or

in sheltered trade between U.K.ports and the near

Continent.

Unusually designed vessels.


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International Load Line Convention

The first International Load Lines Convention, wasadopted in 1930 and was based on the principle of

maintaining a vessels reserve of buoyancy by limiting the

weight of cargo that could be carried.

Note was also taken at the time that load distribution couldalso affect the stability and structural integrity of a vessel.


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1966 Load Line Convention

In addition to the requirements of the 1930 Convention,

the 1966 regulations also took into account:-

The potential hazards present in different zones of the

world and at different seasons.

Safety measures concerning weather deck penetrationssuch as access doors, freeing ports, hatchways etc.

The weather deck line and all assigned load lines must be

clearly and indelibly marked amidships on each side of the

vessel.


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1966 Load Line Convention

All vessels, regardless of their nationality or trading

pattern, are required to comply with the requirements of the

Load Line Convention and must hold a valid International

Load Line Certificate, unless:-

they were built before 1966 and are under 150 g.t.

they were built after 1966 and are under 24 m in length.

A U.K. ship of under 24 m length, unless exempt, will be

issued with a United Kingdom Load Line Certificate.


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Load Line Certificates

The M.C.A., acting on behalf of the Government, is

responsible for carrying out surveys and issuing Load Line

Certificates to British registered vessels.

The M.C.A. will normally authorise certain Classification

Societies to carry out surveys and issue certificates on itsbehalf.

A Load Line Certificate is valid for 5 years from the date of

issue, subject to an annual inspection being carried out

within three months either side of the issuing date.


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Load Line Surveys

Before issuing or endorsing a certificate, the surveyorwill satisfy himself regarding the following:-

The conditions of assignment for freeboard have been

maintained and correctly marked on the hull.*

The continuing structural integrity of the vessel.

That all penetrations through the ships hull can be

secured in a watertight condition.

The vessel carries an approved means of calculatingstability under all expected conditions of loading.

* The conditions of assignment are recorded in a booklet

which must be kept on board and made available.


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Freeboard

Freeboard is the distance measured vertically downwards

amidships from the upper edge of the freeboard deck line

to the upper edge of the load line inscribed on the vessels

hull.

The freeboard deck is the uppermost continuous deckexposed to weather and sea. All openings both through the

deck and through the hull below the deck must be capable

of being made watertight.

A lower deck may be designated the freeboard decke.g. a deck in a car ferry.


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Stability

All stability information, including computer based

programs must be Flag State and Class approved before a

Load Line Certificate can be issued.

Computer based stability software will include various test

programs and these may be run and witnessed by asurveyor during a load line inspection.


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Documents

Load Line Covention