Introduction To Ship Load Lines

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OCTOBER 6, 2014 BY NACHIKETH BHATTATHIRI

If we try to define Load Line in the most simplest fashion, it will be

as follows:

Load line is a special marking positioned amidships which depicts

the draft of the vessel and the maximum permitted limit in distinct
types of waters to which the ship can be loaded.

As a result of the numerous accidents that has happened at sea due

to over-loading of vessels, the significance of having a standard
maximum limit for ships was identified long before. However, it took
many years from then to have an International agreement for the
universal application of Load lines. It was at 1930 when the
first International Load Line Convention took place, after which it
was periodically amended until the latest one that happened in
2003.
 Image Credits: Marine Insight

In order to make a complete comprehension about Load Lines, we

must address the following questions:-

1. What is the purpose of Load Line?

2. Why is it necessary for ships to have Load Lines?

3. What exactly is a Load Line?

4. What are the marking on a Load line?

5. What are the different types of Load Lines?

Purpose and Necessity of Load Lines

The fundamental purpose of a Load Line is to allot a maximum legal

limit upto which a ship can be loaded. By prescribing such limits,
the risk of having the vessel sailing with inadequate freeboard and
buoyancy can be limited. A vessel should be having sufficient
freeboard at all times, any exceptions made will result in insufficient
stability and excessive stress on the ship’s hull. This is where load
lines play an important role, as it makes the task of detecting
whether the vessel is over-loaded and it’s freeboard tremendously
easy and effortless.

However, since the buoyancy and immersion of the vessel largely

depends on the type of water and it’s density, it is not practical to
define a standard freeboard limit for the ship at all times. For this
reason, the convention has put regulations which divides the world
into different geographical zones each having different prescribed
load line.

For example, A vessel sailing in Winter on North Atlantic Ocean will

have a greater freeboard than on a voyage in Tropical Zones and
Fresh waters.

Load Line

As we have already defined above, Load Line is a special marking

positioned amidships. All vessels of 24 meters and more are
required to have this Load line marking at the centre position of the
length of summer load water line.

There are two types of Load line markings:-

1. Standard Load Line marking – This is applicable to all types of

vessels.
2. Timber Load Line Markings – This is applicable to vessels
carrying timber cargo.

These marks shall be punched on the surface of the hull making it

visible even if the ship side paint fades out. The marks shall again
be painted with white or yellow colour on a dark background / black
on a light background. The complete Load line markings consist of 3
vital parts.
1. Deck Line – It is a horizontal line measuring 300mm by 25mm.
It passes through the upper surface of the freeboard.
2. Load Line Disc – It is 300mm diameter and 25mm thick round
shaped disc. It is intersected by a horizontal line. The upper
edge of the horizontal line marks the ‘Summer salt water line’
also known as ‘Plimsol Line’.

3. Load Lines – Load lines are horizontal lines extending forward

and aft from a vertical line placed at a distance of 540mm
from the centre of the disc. They measure 230mm by 23mm.
The upper surfaces of the load lines indicate the maximum
depths to which the ships maybe submerged in different
seasons and circumstances.
 Image credits: Welkinridge/ wikimedia

S – Summer :- It is the basic freeboard line at the same level as the

Plimsol Line. Other load lines are marked based on this Summer
freeboard line.

T – Tropical :- It is 1/48th of summer draft marked above the Summer

load line.

W – Winter :- It is 1/48th of summer draft marked below the Summer

load line.

WNA – Winter North Atlantic :- It is marked 50mm below the Winter

load line. It applies to voyages in North Atlantic ( above 36 degrees
of latitude) during winter months.

F – Fresh Water :- It is the summer fresh water load line. The

distance between S and F is the Fresh Water Allowance (FWA).

TF – Tropical Fresh Water :- It is the fresh water load line in Tropical.

It is marked above the T at an amount equal to FWA.

Timber Load Line Markings

Ships engaged in the timber deck cargo trade are required to have a
special set of Load lines known as the Timber Loadlines. Such
vessels shall comply with the Code of Safe Practices for Ships
Carrying Timber Deck Cargo in construction and other requirements
obtaining greater reserve buoyancy and lesser summer freeboard.
 Image Credits : Deck Officer Nachiketh Bhattathiri

Timber cargo vessels will have a second set of Load Lines marked
similar to the standard load lines positioned 540mm abaft the
centre loadline disc.

The letter marking of the timber loadline are different and are
prefixed by ‘L’ meaning ‘Lumber’.

LS – Lumber Summer :- Its upper edge marks the summer salt water
timber loadline. It is situated at a specified level above the Plimsol
line.

LW – Lumber Winter :- It is 1/36th of the lumber summer draft below

LS.

LT – Lumber Tropical :- It is 1/48th of the lumber summer draft above

LS.
LWNA – Lumber Winter North Atlantic :- It is at the same level as
WNA.

LF – Lumber Fresh water :- It is situated above the LS by an amount

equal FWA.

LTF – Lumber Tropical Fresh Water :- It is positioned above LT by an

amount equal to FWA.

Certification

Every ship that has been surveyed and marked in accordance with
the present Load line convention are issued by the authorized
administration, an International Load Line Certificate. The
certificate will have a validity of not more than 5 years and will
contain all vital information that includes the assigned freeboard
and fresh water allowance.

It is to be noted that, after completion of a load line survey and

issuance of the certificate; no changes shall be made to the super
structure, markings, equipments or arrangements that has been
covered under the survey. If such changes need to be made, the
authorized authority conducting the survey shall be contacted.

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