Load Line Rules

This chapter discusses the rules of the International Convention on Load Lines of Ships. Ships are divided into types “A” and “B”. Type “A” ships are those which are designed to carry only liquid cargoes in bulk, and in which the cargo tanks have only small access openings closed by watertight gasketed covers of steel or equivalent material. These vessels benefit from the minimum assignable freeboard. All ships that do not come within the provisions regarding Type “A” ships are considered as Type “B” ships. Having decided the type of ship, the computation of freeboard is comparatively simple, a number of corrections being applied to the rule basic freeboard given for Type “A” and Type “B” ships against length of ship. The length ( L ) is defined as 96% of the total length on the water-line at 85% of the least molded depth, or as the length measured from the fore side of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on the water-line, if that is greater.