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Load line legislation

Which UK regulations implement the International Load Line Convention?

The MS (Load Line) Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2241). They replaced numerous old rules and regulations (including the Deck Cargo Regulations) which concerned load lines.

Which ships are excepted from the requirements of the Load Line Regulations?

Ships of war, ships solely engaged in fishing, pleasure vessels, and the following ships under 80 NT engaged solely in the coastal trade, while not carrying cargo: tugs and salvage ships; hopper barges and dredgers; lighthouse authority vessels; fishery protection vessels (government and local); Government department fishery or scientific research ships; MoD range safety ships; ships in respect of which Passenger Certificates are in force specifying limits beyond which the ship must not ply, and which operate solely within those limits; ships carrying not more than 12 passengers for sport or pleasure on voyages in the course of which they are at no time more than 3 miles from land

nor more than 15 miles from their point of departure unless that is in Category A, B, C or D waters. The passenger ships referred to (i. e. ships for which PCs are in force) are also excepted while carrying cargo in accordance with the terms, if any, of their Passenger Certificates expressly authorising the carriage of cargo.

Which ships may be exempted from

the Load Line Regulations? (1 ) Any ship embodying features of a novel kind if the development of those features and their incorporation in ships on international voyages might be seriously impeded if the ship had to comply with all the requirements of the Regulations; and (2) any ship plying on international voyages between near neighbouring ports if, in the opinion of the MCA and the Government of the other country or countries involved, the sheltered nature and condition of the voyages makes it unreasonable or impracticable to apply the Regulations; (3) a UK ship which does not normally ply on international voyages but which is, in exceptional circumstances, required to undertake a single international voyage (in which case she may be exempted for that voyage only); (4) a ship which is not a 'Convention-size ship' (i. e. under 24m in length); and (5) any other ship which does not ply on international voyages. What certificate should be carried

by a ship which is exempted from the Load Line Regulations?

If she is a 'Convention-size ship' plying on international voyages, i. e. in cases (1), (2) or (3) in the last answer, an International Load Line Exemption Certificate; in cases (4) and (5) in the last answer, a UK Load Line Exemption Certificate.

International Load Line Certificate (1966) (ILLC 66)

Which ships are issued with Load Line Certificates?

Ships which have been surveyed and marked in accordance with the Load Line Regulations.

What does an International Load Line Certificate certify?

That the ship has been surveyed and that the freeboards have been assigned and load lines shown on the certificate have been marked in accordance with the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966. Annual surveys are endorsed on the back of the certificate.

What is the maximum period of validity of an International Load Line Certificate, and may it be extended?

5 years from the date of completion of the initial or renewal survey, subject to annual surveys. It is extendable under similar conditions and for similar periods as apply to SOLAS certificates under the Survey and Certification Regulations. (See an earlier sub-section of Section D. )

Which organisations may carry out International Load Line Certificate surveys and issue International Load Line Certificates?

In the UK MCA or LR, DNV, BV, ABS, GL or RINA under MCA authority. Abroad: any Convention Country administration at the MCA's request. In practice, the ship's authorised classification society normally issues the ILLC. For an unclassed UK ship, MCA will issue the ILLC, in which case the letters alongside the loadline disc will be 'DT' or 'BT'.

Which organisations may issue International and UK Load Line Exemption Certificates?

Only the MCA. What is the annual Load Line

survey properly called, and when is it held?

Until implementation of the Harmonised System of Survey and Certification, it was called a periodical inspection. Under the Harmonised System of Survey and

Certification it is called an annual survey. It is held within three months either side of the annual anniversary date of the International Load Line Certificate.

What is the Load Line annual

survey meant to ensure? That: (1 ) no alterations have been made to the hull or superstructures that would affect the calculations determining the position of the load line; (2) the fittings and appliances for the protection of openings, guard rails, freeing ports and means of access to crew's quarters are maintained in an effective condition; (3) the

appropriate marks are correctly and permanently indicated; and (4) stability, loading and ballasting information is provided as required by the Regulations.

What items are given particular attention in a Load Line annual survey?

Hatchways; openings in the ship's side below the freeboard deck and in the sides and ends of enclosed superstructures; machinery casings, companionways and deckhouses; freeing port shutters; ventilators and air pipes; special fittings for ships marked with timber load lines; any departures from recorded conditions of

assignment; positions of load line marks and deckline. In what circumstances will an

Administration cancel an

International Load Line Certificate?

(1 ) When material alterations have been made in the hull or structural strength such as would necessitate assignment of an increased freeboard; (2) When fittings and appliances are not maintained in an effective condition; (3) When the certificate is not endorsed to show the vessel has been inspected in annual surveys (or periodical inspections); or (4) When the structural strength of the vessel is lowered to such an extent that she is unsafe.

Record of Conditions of Assignment

What is meant by 'conditions of assignment'?

The conditions relating to construction, arrangement and stability with which a ship must comply in order to be assigned freeboards.

What document is issued with a Load Line Certificate, and what does it contain?

A Record of Particulars Relating to the Conditions of Assignment (form FRE. 5). It details the fittings, appliances and arrangements approved for the ship, as follows: ship's name; POR; nationality; ON or call sign; builder; yard number; date of build/conversion; freeboards assigned as a ship of Type (A, B, or B with reduced or increased freeboard ); classification; date and place of initial survey; sketches of side profile, superstructure deck and freeboard deck (with note stating that a plan of suitable size may be attached instead of sketches) to show disposition of superstructures, trunks, deckhouses, machinery casings, extent of bulwarks, guard rails and wood sheathing on exposed deck, hatchways,

gangways and other means of protection for crew, cargo ports, bow and stern doors, side scuttles, scuppers, ventilators, air pipes, companionways and other items that would affect seaworthiness. Also, tabular reports of: doorways in superstructures, exposed machinery casings and deckhouses; protected

openings in freeboard and superstructure decks; hatchways at Positions 1 and 2 closed by portable covers and secured weathertight by tarpaulins and battening devices; hatchways at Positions 1 and 2 closed by weathertight covers of steel (or other equivalent material) fitted with gaskets and clamping devices;

machinery space openings and miscellaneous openings in freeboard and superstructure decks; ventilators on freeboard and superstructure decks

(Positions 1 and 2); air pipes on freeboard and superstructure decks; cargo ports and similar openings; scuppers, inlets and discharges; side scuttles; freeing ports; protection of crew; timber deck cargo fittings; other special features. To ensure maintenance of the

Conditions of Assignment after survey, what must you not do on your ship?

Make any change in the structure, equipment, arrangements, material or scantlings covered by the survey without the sanction of the Administration.

Types of freeboard

What types of freeboard may be

assigned? Type A, Type B, Type B with reduced freeboard, Type B with increased freeboard, or Type B with timber freeboard. What is a Type A ship? One which is designed to carry only liquid cargoes in bulk, and in which cargo

tanks have only small access openings closed by watertight gasketed covers of steel or equivalent material. Such a ship will necessarily have (1) high integrity of the exposed deck and (2) a high degree of safety against flooding, resulting from the low permeability of loaded cargo spaces and the degree of subdivision usually provided.

What is a Type B ship? Any ship which is not a Type A' ship. What is a Type B ship with reduced

freeboard?

A Type 'B' ship of over 100 metres length assigned a freeboard less than that required normally, where the Administration is satisfied that she meets the rules relating to protection of the crew, freeing arrangements, covers and single compartment damage stability.

How is the minimum freeboard of

Type A and 'B' ships determined? From tables (A and B) in the Load Line Rules.

UK Load Line Certificate

A small UK cargo ship is employed trading on domestic-only voyages. Does she require a Load Line Certificate?

Yes, a UK Load Line Certificate.

Which ships require a UK Load

Line Certificate? UK ships which are not 'Convention-size ships' (i. e. under 24m in length); and other UK ships not plying on international voyages.

Load line marks

What do the following letters mean on a ship's load line: AB; BV; GL; LR; NV; Rl; DT?

AB; American Bureau of Shipping; BV: Bureau Veritas; GL: Germanischer Lloyd; LR: Lloyd's Register of Shipping; NV: Det Norske Veritas; Rl: Registro Italiano Navale. These are the six classification societies authorised by the DETR to act as Assigning Authorities for load lines and freeboards. DT are the letters used by the DETR (MCA) on the loadline of a non-classed ship (such as a lighthouse tender).

How is it that some ships have more than one set of load lines?

The International Load Line Rules allow owners to have more than one set of load lines, but only one may be in use at any one time, so that a ship may arrive in port using one set, but sail using another. (This is a relic of the days when owners were allowed to have open or closed shelter-deck ships. )

Does the Load Line Convention allow more than one load line?

Yes. Additional load lines required by other international conventions in force may be marked at right angles to and abaft the vertical line forming the stem of the load line 'tree' (T, S, W, etc. ).

What load lines may be assigned to

Which ships may be assigned a Winter North Atlantic load line, and when is this load line to be used?

Ships of 100 metres or less in length. It is to be used in either of the North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zones (I or II) during the winter seasonal periods applicable in those zones.

What is the purpose of the letters

(e. g. 'LR') on a load line ring? They are the mark of the Assigning Authority, e. g. Lloyd's Register of Shipping. How many letters may be used on

a load line ring? Not more than 4. (The South African Committee of Lloyd's Register uses 4: 'SA' above the Plimsoll line and 'LR' below the line. ) Where a passenger ship is marked

with subdivision load lines as well as ordinary load lines, which is the appropriate load line for the purposes of the Load Line Regulations?

Where the lowest of the subdivision load lines is lower than the line which is the appropriate load line then that subdivision load line shall have effect as if it is the appropriate load line for the purposes of the Regulations.

Where can you ascertain the appropriate load line for a ship in a particular zone or area and seasonal period?

In Schedule 1 to MSN 1701. (Note: At the time of writing, a superseding notice, MSN 1752(M), referred to in the MS (Load Line) (Amendment) Regulations

2000, had not been published. )

Timber load lines

What timber load lines may be

assigned? A 'set' of timber loadlines corresponding with the ordinary load lines, preceded with the letter L (e. g. LS, LW), placed on the opposite side of the disc. ('L' stands for lumber. )

Where timber load lines are assigned, under what

circumstances may they be used?

(1 ) The ship must comply with certain requirements (Reg. 43 of the Load Line

Convention); and (2) the cargo must comply with certain requirements (Reg. 44). Mainly,

there must be a tight block stow, properly lashed in accordance with the regulations.

Where can you ascertain the appropriate timber load line for a ship in a particular zone or area and seasonal period?

In Schedule 1 to MSN 1701.