LOAD-LINE MARKS OF VESSELS. The load-line or load water-line of vessels is the line in which the plane of the water surface cuts the hull of a ship when the latter is loaded. vessels are lost. from overloading, and this fact led Samuel Plimsoll (q.v.), a member of the British Parliament, to prepare his Merchant Shipping Act, which became a law in 1876. This act was amended by the Merchant Shipping Acts of 1890 and Mt. and the marks provided for in those acts and the rules of the British Board of Trade are shown in the accompanying sketches. The abbreviations used have significance as fol lows: FW, fresh water (i.e. the load-line when in fresh water) ; IS, Indian summer (summer load-line in the Indian Ocean) ; S, summer; W, winter; WNA, winter, North Atlantic; F, fresh water (in the ease of sailing ships). These marks are painted on the sides of iron ships, white Or yellow on a dark ground, or black on a light ground. and the position of the disk and of each of the lines must be permanently marked on iron and steel by centre punch marks, and on wooden vessels the disk and lines are to be cut into the wood to a depth of not less than a quarter of an inch for the full width (1 inch) of the line. The edge of the line which crosses the disk passes through the centre of it and is the permitted freeboard in salt water during summer. The upper edges of the other lines are the permitted freeboard under the vari ous conditions. After the load-line markings have been placed upon a vessel in accordance with the tables for assigning freeboard, their positions must be verified and approved by the Board of Trade, which issues a certificate of approval. This certificate may cease to be in effect after a survey which reduces the vessel in classifica tion; in this case a new certificate must be issued (with possibly a new placing of the marks).
When the markings arc duly placed, newly or originally, their positions and accuracy are veri fied by Lloyd's Register surveyors, and upon this being reported to the committee, a freeboard cer tificate is forthwith issued. Without such a free
board certificate a British vessel cannot clear the British expression is 'enter outwards') from any port in Great Britain. Although the Load Line Act applies only to British vessels, the Com mittee of Lloyd's Register assigns freeboard for foreign vessels in accordance with the tables. if the owners make application for the assignment : and it issues. with the concurrence of the Board of Trade, certificates similar to those given British vessels.
The position of the 'statutory deck-line.' from which the load-lines are measured, is defined ill the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876 as follows: "Every British ship (except ships under 80 tons register employed solely in the coasting trade, ships employed solely in fishing, and pleas ure yachts i shall be permanently and conspicu ously marked with line of not less than 12 inches in length and 1 inch in breadth, painted longitu dinally on each side amidships. or as near there to as practicable. and indicating the position of each deck which is above water.
"The upper edge of eaeli of these lines shall be Its el With the upper side of the deck plank next the waterway at the place of marking.
"fire lines shall be white or yellow on a dark ground. or black on a light ground." TM( line abreast the uppermost deck which ex tend], the full length of the ship is the 'statutory deck- I hie.' 'the British Merchant Shipping Act of 1S94, the Committee of Lloyd's Register is em powered to assign freeboards to British vessels as required by the act. The form of marking adopted by Lloyd's is shown in the sketches, the letters I. and I', on each side of the disk indicat ing that the freeboards were assigned by the com mittee. Consult: Lloyd's Seaman's 'Almanac (London, 1s03); Lloyd's Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Steel (sm.'s i London, 19(0): ing Some goes ( London, 1S91).