International Convention on Load Lines

International Convention on Load Lines

Adoption: 5 April 1966

Entry into force: 21 July 1968

 

A: Main objective of the Convention

1: limitations on the draught to which a ship may be loaded for significant contribution to her safety.

2:These limits are given in the form of freeboards, which constitute, besides external weathertight and watertight integrity.

 

B: History of LOAD LINE CONVENTION 

1:The first International Convention on Load Lines, adopted in 1930, was based on the principle of reserve buoyancy, although it was recognized then that the freeboard should also ensure adequate stability and avoid excessive stress on the ship's hull as a result of overloading.

2: In the 1966 Load Lines convention, adopted by IMO, provisions are made for determining the freeboard of ships by subdivision and damage stability calculations.

3:All assigned load lines must be marked amidships on each side of the ship, together with the deck line. 

4:Ships intended for the carriage of timber deck cargo are assigned a smaller freeboard as the deck cargo provides protection against the impact of waves.

 

C: The Convention includes three annexes.

Annex I is divided into four Chapters:

• Chapter I - General;
• Chapter II - Conditions of assignment of freeboard;
• Chapter III - Freeboards;
• Chapter IV - Special requirements for ships assigned timber freeboards.

Annex II covers Zones, areas and seasonal periods.

Annex III contains certificates, including the International Load Line Certificate.

D: Amendments to load line convention 

 1:Various amendments were adopted in 1971, 1975, 1979, and 1983 but they required positive acceptance by two-thirds of Parties and never came into force.

2: The 1988 Protocol, adopted in November 1988, entered into force on 3 February 2000. As well as harmonizing the Convention's survey and certification requirement with those contained in the SOLAS and MARPOL conventions, the  1988  Protocol revised certain regulations in the technical Annexes to the Load Lines Convention and introduced the tacit amendment procedure, so that amendments adopted will enter into force six months after the deemed date of acceptance unless they are rejected by one-third of Parties. Usually, the date from adoption to deemed acceptance is two years. ​