Load Line Certificate regulations

1. Who are the assigning authorities for assignments of freeboards and issue Load line Certificate in Singapore?
In Singapore, MPA or MPA approved 9 classification societies are the assigning authorities for freeboard under the authority of MPA. Approved 8 classification societies are as follows- America Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Lloyds Register of Shipping (LR), Bureau Veritas (BV), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK), China Classification Society (CCS), Korean Register of Shipping (KRS) and Registro Italiano Navale (RINA).
a) An International Load Line Certificate is issued by the Certifying Authority to every ship of 24m length or more (after being surveyed/marked as per the Regulations)
b) A Singapore Load Line certificate is issued by the Certifying Authority to every new ship of less than 24m length or ‘existing ship’ of less than 150tons (after being surveyed/marked as per the Regulations)
c) An International Load Line Exemption certificate, or a Singapore Load Line Exemption certificate, as appropriate, is issued by the Certifying Authority to any ship which is granted exemption under Regulation 6 (eg. ships engaged on International voyages between near neighbouring ports of 2 or more countries)

2. List the contents of an International Load Line certificate.
Contents of load line Certificate:
a) Name of the ship.
b) Official number & call sign
c) Port of registry
d) Length of the ship
e) IMO number
f) Freeboard assigned as “New ship” or “ existing ship”
g) Type of vessel : type ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘B-60’ or’ B-100’
h) Freeboard in mm from deck line to mark: Tropical, summer, winter, winter north
Atlantic, Timber tropical, Timber summer, Timber winter, Timber winter north Atlantic
i) Distance in mm from summer load line to Tropical, winter, winter north Atlantic,
Timber tropical, Timber winter, Timber winter north Atlantic
j) Allowances for Fresh water in mm for all freeboard other than Timber
k) Allowances for Fresh water in mm for Timber freeboard
l) Drawing of load line marks
m) Date of issue
n) Place of issue
o) Date of expiry
p) Surveyor signature and seal

3. What is the duration for which an International Load Line Certificate is issued?
International Load Line Certificate is issued for 5 years subjected to annual inspections within
3 months before/after each anniversary date of the certificate.

4. How can you as a master obtain an International Load Line Certificate? Under what circumstance such as extension may be granted?
For obtaining an International Load Line Certificate, the calculation and assignment of freeboard of a ship may be carried out by the competent authority or any approved classification society by the competent authority. The initials of the assigning authority may be cut in and painted in way of the load line mark, alongside the disc or ring. In the case of a classed ship the freeboard is almost invariably assigned by a classification society because they will be already in possession of all the required information.
Extension of the Certificate should be made through the Owner, who in turn applies for such an extension from the assigning authority, before the current certificate expires. Following such an application the ship will then be surveyed to check that the vessel complies with the relevant requirements of the Load line Convention. The assigning authority may when satisfied with the surveyors report and after notifying the Director of Marine that the vessel complies with the requirements relating to stability, and if it considers it not practicable to issue the new certificate before the expiry of the present one, extend the period of validity of the present one to a period not exceeding 3 months.

5. State the conditions under which an International Load Line Certificate may be cancelled.
Cancellation of the International Load Line Certificate

a) The ship does not comply with the conditions of assignment.
b) The structural strength of the vessel is reduced such that it is unsafe.
c) The information on the basis of which the freeboard were assigned are incorrect
d) The certificate is not endorsed in accordance with the requirements relating to periodical
inspections
e) A new certificate is issued with respect to the ship
f) Change of registry to another country

6. What is an exemption certificate? When is it required to be obtained and state its duration?
An exemption certificate is issued under the provisions of the convention, under the authority of the Minister, certifying that the vessel is exempted from the provisions of the convention. The conditions under which it is to be obtained are as follows:
a) Ship which embodies features of a novel kind from any of the provisions of the Convention, the application of which may seriously impede research into the development of such features and their incorporation in ships engaged on International voyages. Any such ship shall however comply with safety requirements adequate for the service for which it is intended as determined by the assigning authority.
b) Ship which is not normally engaged on International voyages, but which is in some exceptional circumstances required to undertake a single International voyage may be exempted provided it complies with safety requirements adequate for the voyage as determined by the assigning authority.
The duration for the exemption is as follows:
– Duration not exceeding 5 years, from the date of issue. Such a certificate shall be subject to a renewal endorsement and cancellation procedure similar to that provided by the Load line certificate.
– The duration is limited to the single voyage to which it is issued.

7. Define the following :
Load line length
Enclosed superstructure
Freeboard deck
Superstructure deck
Position 1
Position 2

Load line length: This is taken as 96% of total length on a waterline at 85% of the least ‘moulded depth’ or the length from fore side of stem to axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, if greater.
Enclosed superstructure: is a superstructure with enclosing bulkheads of efficient construction & any access openings in these bulkheads comply with regulation 12 (ie steel weather tight doors sealed by gaskets & clamps operable from both sides with sills of at least 380mm), and all other openings in them are weather tight.
Freeboard deck: normally the uppermost continuous deck exposed to weather & sea which has permanent means of closing all openings in the weather part, and below which all openings in the sides of the ship are fitted with permanent means of watertight closing. At Owners option a lower deck may be permitted to be designated as the Freeboard deck provided it is a complete and permanent deck continuous fore & aft between machinery space and peak bulkheads (the part that extends above is considered as superstructure).
Superstructure deck: is a decked structure on the freeboard deck extending from side to side of the ship, or with its side plating not being inboard from the ship’s shell plating by more than 4% of the Breadth (a ‘raised quarterdeck’ is regarded as a superstructure).
Position 1: (with reference hatchways, doorways & ventilators) means the hatchways, doorways or ventilators are positioned upon exposed freeboard & raised quarter decks or upon exposed superstructure decks situated forward of a point located 0.25L from the Forward Perpendicular (FP) Position 2: (with reference hatchways, doorways & ventilators) means the hatchways, doorways or ventilators are positioned upon exposed superstructure decks and situated abaft a point located 0.25L from the Forward Perpendicular (FP).

8. Draw the Load line markings of a vessel issued with a Timber Load line Certificate, including the various dimensions.

View post on imgur.com

Special timber freeboards can be assigned in addition to the ordinary freeboards. These timber freeboards are, in general, less than the corresponding ordinary freeboards. They are identified by the letter L and are marked abaft the Load line mark or ring. On the starboard side they would appear as shown below.

LS is the Summer Timber load line.
LW is the Winter Timber Load line. The distance between LS and LW is (LSdraught/36)
LWNA is the Winter North Atlantic Timber Load line. The freeboard is the same as the ship’s ordinary Winter North Atlantic freeboard. Consequently for a ship under
100m in length LWNA is at the same draught as WNA whilst in a longer ship it is at the same draught as W.
LT is the Tropical Timber Load line.
LF is the Summer Timber Load line in fresh water.
LTF is the Tropical Timber Load line in fresh water.

The Timber fresh water allowance is the quantity (W/4T)mm where W is the displacement in tonnes and T is the tonnes per centimetre immersion, at the Summer timber draught. The Timber Load lines are only applicable when the ship is loaded with a timber deck cargo in accordance with The Merchant Shipping Load Lines Regulations.

9. State the various types of freeboards assignable to ship.
The freeboard which is calculated by applying to the tabular freeboard the corrections for the ships L/D ratio, block coefficient, sheer, superstructure etc is the ship’s summer (salt water) freeboard. This establishes the summer draught. The freeboards (and draughts) for other seasonal zones and fresh water are determined from the calculated summer freeboard as follow:
The TROPICAL freeboard is obtained by deducting from the summer freeboard one forty-eighth (1/48th) of the summer draught
The WINTER freeboard is obtained by adding to the summer freeboard one forty-eighth of the summer draught.
The WINTER NORTH ATLANTIC freeboard is obtained by adding 50mm to the winter freeboard. This however only applies to ships not exceeding 100 metres, in length. In larger ships the Winter North Atlantic freeboard is the same as the winter freeboard.
The TROPICAL FRESH WATER and SUMMER FRESH WATER freeboards are obtained by deducting the FRESH WATER ALLOWANCE from the corresponding salt water freeboards.
The fresh water allowance is (W/4T) mm, where W is the displacement in tonnes at the summer load water line and T is the tonnes per centimetre immersion at that waterline

10. Where are the details found for verification of Load line markings?
Annexes to the International Convention on Load Lines contain various regulations for determining the details for verification of Load line markings. Also it can be found on Load line certificate.

11. Outline the requirements relevant to the Conditions of assignment of freeboards under the International Load line regulations.
The principal conditions that must be satisfied, before freeboard is assigned, take into account:
a) Structural strength of the ship in relation to the assigned draft
b) preservation of reserve buoyancy
c) Means of preventing entry of water into the hull
d) Safety of crew on weather deck
e) Potential wetness of weather deck
f) Stability in normal loaded condition (ie intact stability)
g) Degree of subdivision & stability in prescribed damaged condition

12. Under the International Load line regulations, define the following

Type `A’ ship
Type `B’ ship

Type ‘A’ ship: is a ship designed to carry only liquid cargoes in bulk. Has a high integrity of the exposed deck with only small openings to cargo compartments closed by watertight gasket steel covers and a low permeability of loaded cargo compartments.
Type ‘B’ ship: is any ship that does not meet the provisions for a type ‘A’ ship.
13. Explain how freeboard is assigned for a type `A’ ship.
A type `A ‘ship is one designed to carry only liquid cargoes in bulk and which has a number of special circumstances which justify the assignment of a smaller freeboard.
These are:
a) The cargo tanks have only small access openings closed by watertight gasketed covers of steel (or equivalent) to give a high integrity of the exposed deck.
b) There is a high degree of safety against flooding because of the low permeability of the loaded cargo spaces and the degree of subdivision within the hull.
c) If the ship is over 150m in length and is designed to have empty compartments when loaded to the summer load waterline, the ship must be capable of remaining afloat after the flooding of any one of these compartments (at an assumed permeability of 0.95) in a condition of equilibrium such that the water is below the top of any ventilator coaming or air pipe opening, or the top of the sill in way of a weather tight door, or the edge of any other opening through which progressive flooding could take place. In the flooded condition the GM must be at least 50mm, the list should not exceed 15 degrees, and the ship must have adequate residual stability. If the ship’s length exceeds 225 metres the flooding of the machinery space (separately, at an assumed permeability of 0.85) must also satisfy these
requirements. The Supplementary conditions of Assignment in a type `A’ ships include the following:
a) All hatchway covers in exposed positions on the freeboard deck or forecastle deck must be made of steel (or the equivalent) and watertight when secured.
b) Guard rails must be fitted, in lieu of bulwarks, for at least half the length of exposed superstructure and freeboard decks; the edge of the sheer strake must be as low and practicable. The rails must be of at least 3 courses attaining a height of at least 1 metre. The lowest must not be more than 230mm above the sheer strake, the maximum spacing between them is 380mm and they should be supported by stanchions not more than 1.5m apart. (When superstructures are connected by trunks, open rails must be fitted all along the freeboard deck.) In some cases breakwaters have to be fitted on the freeboard deck.
c) The machinery casing has to be protected by an enclosed superstructure, or by a deckhouse of equal height, strength and degree of watertightness or may be left exposed if it has either (a) no openings giving direct access from the freeboard deck, or (b) a steel weathertight door leading into a passage, which is equally well constructed and fitted with a second steel weathertight door separating it from the engine room.
d) There must be protection for the crew when passing between a poop, any bridge or deckhouse amidships, and the forward end. Between the poop and the amidships structure the protection may be provided by a gangway or an under deck passage. Forward of the bridge, or forward of the poop where there is no bridge, the choice lies between a gangway, an under deck passage and a walkway.

14. Explain the conditions under which a type `B’ ship may be assigned a Reduced freeboard.
A type B ship can be assigned a freeboard less than that ordinarily applicable to type B'. The freeboard can be reduced by up to 60% of the difference between typeA’ and type B' freeboards and the ship is then known as a typeB-60′. This reduced freeboard is only allowed if the ship has a number of structural characteristics and sufficient stability to minimise the dangers of being assigned a reduced freeboard and having, therefore, less reserve buoyancy. The
characteristics required of the `B-60′ ship are:
a) A length in excess of 100m
b) Hatchways in positions 1 and 2 closed by gasketed, clamped, steel weather tight covers.
c) The ability to remain afloat in the loaded condition, in the way described under (iv) after flooding any single damaged compartment, other than the machinery space, at a permeability of 0.95. The damage which causes the flooding is generally assumed to extend vertically for the full depth of the ship – from keel to the freeboard deck – and transversely for a distance of one fifth of the ship’s maximum moulded breadth; this distance is measured inboard at right angles to the centreline, at the level of the summer load waterline. It is assumed that no transverse watertight bulkhead is damaged.
d) In the damaged condition the final waterline must be below the top of any ventilator coaming, air pipe opening, doorway sill or any other opening through which progressive flooding could take place. If the ship is upright the metacentric height must be at least 50mm; any list must not exceed 15 degrees, and the ship must have adequate residual stability. (The height of the centre of gravity is calculated allowing for homogenous loading of cargo holds and for 50% of the designed capacity of consumable liquids and stores)
e) If the length exceeds 225 metres the loaded ship must be able to withstand the flooding of the machinery space, at an assumed permeability of 0.85 whilst satisfying (iv) above.

Supplementary conditions of Assignment for a B-60 freeboard are as follows:
a) there must be a gangway, under deck passage or centreline walkway of the nature described for a type A ship, OR – if hatchway coamings exceed 600mm in height –
two walkways, one to port and one to starboard, fitted alongside the hatch coamings, each at least 1 metre wide and fenced on the outboard side by rails of the same
nature as would be fitted on a gangway.
b) Efficient breakwater may be required on the freeboard deck.
c) For a vessel 200 metres long the type A' freeboard is 2612mm and the typeB’ freeboard is 3264mm. The full benefit of a (B-60) freeboard would therefore amount
to 60/100 (3264 – 2612) = 391.2mm.

A TYPE `B-100″ SHIP
The freeboard of a type B ship can be reduced by up to 100% of the difference between the freeboards for types A and B and is then designated type B-100'. If the reduction is as much as 100%, the ship is effectively being given a type A freeboard. To be designated type B-100 the structural and stability characteristics must afford an even greater safeguard against the potential hazard of a reduced freeboard than do the characteristics of the typeB-60′. The features required of a B-100 ship are as follows:
a) A length in excess of 100 metres.
b) Hatchways in positions 1 and 2 closed by gasketed, clamped, steel weather tight covers.
c) The ability to remain afloat, in the loaded condition, in the way described under (iv) after flooding any two compartments adjacent fore and aft, other than the machinery space, at a permeability of 0.95.
d) In the damaged condition the final waterline must be below the top of any ventilator coaming, air pipe opening, doorway sill or any other opening through which progressive flooding can take place. The angle of heel must exceed 15 degrees, the metacentric height must be at least 50mm, and the ship must have adequate residual stability. (The height of the centre of gravity above the keel is calculated allowing for homogenous loading of cargo holds and for 50% of the designed capacity of consumable liquid and stores)
e) If the length exceeds 225 metres the loaded ship must be able to withstand flooding of the machinery space, at an assumed permeability of 0.85, whilst satisfying above.
Supplementary conditions of Assignment for a `B-100′ freeboard
a) Protection of the machinery casing as required for in a type `A’ ship.
b) Freeing ports and arrangements as required in a type `A’ ship.
c) The provision of a gangway, under deck passage or centreline walkway of the type A' ship or twin walkways of the typeB-60′ ship.

15. Distinguish between Tabular, Calculated, Basic and Assigned freeboards.
Tabular freeboard: a term used to indicate the freeboard value determined directly from the Freeboard Tables (given separately for type ‘A’ & type ‘B’ ships), under Regulation 28, for a so-called ‘standard ship’ and corresponds solely on ship length.

Note: The ‘standard ship’ is deemed to be a ship built to highest standard requirements of the Classification Society and has the following five characteristics:
a) length to depth ratio of 15 (L/D=15)
b) block coefficient of 0.68
c) no superstructure
d) parabolic sheer profile of the freeboard deck and attaining a particular height at the forward & after perpendicular as prescribed by formulae (depending on ship length)
e) minimum bow height above the assigned summer loadline as prescribed by formulae (depending on Cb & length of ship)
Calculated freeboard: a term used to indicate the summer freeboard value as determined by the application of ‘corrections’ (obtained from the Regulations) to the Tabular Freeboard for a type ‘A’ ship, or ‘Basic Freeboard’ for a type ‘B’ ship, depending upon how the characteristics of the ship in question differs from the characteristics of the ‘standard ship’
Note: The ‘corrections’ are generally applied as follows:
– increase freeboard if Cb greater than 0.68
– increase freeboard if L/D ratio is less than 15
– reduction of freeboard for having superstructures & trunks
– deficiency in sheer, from standard profile, would involve increase in freeboard, whilst excess shear will result in a deduction in freeboard
– may require to increase freeboard if minimum ‘bow height’ not obtained when at
summer loadline
Basic freeboard: a term used to indicate the freeboard value as determined by the application of corrections (obtained from the Regulations) to the appropriate Tabular Freeboard for a type ‘B’ ship, only for the following:
– any reduction applicable if type ‘B-60’ or ‘B-100’ ship
– any increased freeboard applicable for having wooden hatch covers
– any increased freeboard applicable to ships under 100m length
Assigned freeboard: a term for the final summer and other freeboards as calculated, marked and entered in the loadline certificate by the Certifying Authority

16. Outline the special requirements for ships assigned Timber freeboards with regard to:

a. construction of ship
b. stowage
c. To enable such a vessel to be loaded to timber marks.

Special requirements for ships assigned timber load line:
Constructional Requirements of the Ship:
a) Superstructure
– a forecastle of at least standard height & length of at least 0.07L, and, if less than 100 meters in length
– a poop of standard height or a raised quarter deck aft (with deck-house)
b) Double bottom tanks:
Any DB tanks fitted in the mid ship half length of the ship must have adequate watertight longitudinal subdivision
c) Bulwarks:
Permanent bulwarks of at least 1metre height, stiffened on upper edge, with adequate bulwark stays & freeing ports OR efficient rails of same height & strong construction
Cargo stowage requirements:
a) General
– openings on weather deck over which cargo is stowed must be securely closed & battened down
– timber deck cargo must extend over at least the entire available length on the freeboard deck (ie the total length of wells between superstructures) and stowed solidly up to the standard height of the superstructure
– timber deck cargo to extend athwart ships as close to the ship’s side as possible (allowances made for stays, pilot access, uprights etc. Such gaps not to exceed 4% of breadth)
– the timber deck cargo must be compactly stowed , lashed & secured and must not interfere with the navigation & necessary work of the ship
– for a ship in the seasonal winter load line zone in winter, the height of the deck cargo, above the weather deck, must not exceed 1/3rd of the ship’s extreme breadth
b) Uprights
Uprights, where required, must be efficiently secured with suitable spacing, not exceeding 3 meters. They must be of adequate strength, but NOT stronger than the
bulwarks
c) Lashings
The timber deck cargo must be effectively secured throughout its length by a lashing system acceptable to the certifying Authority (reference may be made to IMO’s ‘Code of Safe Practice for Ships Carrying Timber Deck Cargoes’)
d) Stability
Provisions must be made for a safe margin of stability at all stages of the voyage, consideration being given to possible additions of weights by absorption of water by cargo & icing and losses of weights due to consumption of fuel, water & stores
e) Protection of crew & access to machinery spaces etc.
– additional set of guard-rails or life-lines must be provided on each side of the cargo deck up to a height of at least 1 meter above the cargo, the vertical distance between each rail or line must not exceed 350mm
– Another life-line, in the form of a wire rope set taut (with stanchions to prevent sagging), must be provided as close as possible to the centerline above the cargo. A walkway of at least 600mm should be provided beneath or next to the life-line if the surface over the cargo is uneven
f) Steering arrangements
Steering arrangements to be accessible & protected from damage by cargo. Consider emergency steering provisions
Computation of timber freeboards (Reg. 45):
– minimum ‘Summer Timber Freeboard’ computed similar to normal ‘summer freeboard’ except for different deductions for superstructures/trunks (from those given in Reg. 37)
– ‘Winter Timber Freeboard’ obtained by adding 1/36th of the moulded summer timber draft to the ‘Summer Timber Freeboard’
– ‘Tropical Timber Freeboard’ obtained by deducting 1/48th of the moulded summer timber draft from the ‘Summer Timber Freeboard’
– Computation of ‘WNA Timber Freeboard’ and ‘FW Timber Freeboard’, from the ‘Summer Timber Freeboard’, remains the same

17. What are the conditions that a ship must fulfil before being issued with an International Load line certificate?
These are prescribed conditions which must be complied with before calculated freeboards can be assigned to any type of ship, i.e. before the various loadlines are marked on the ship’s sides and the Load Line Certificate issued. The conditions of assignment of freeboard are concerned, in general, with:

a) the structural strength
b) The provision of stability information and the need for satisfactory stability in all probable loaded conditions
c) the requirements necessary to safeguard the ship’s reserve buoyancy; these prescribe the means of closing the openings in the freeboard deck, in superstructures and in side shell plating below the freeboard deck.
d) the freeing ports
e) the means to be adopted for the protection of the crew in going about the weather deck
f) The general structural strength must be sufficient for the freeboards to be assigned to the ship.
g) The ship must be provided with comprehensive stability information.
h) The requirements relating to the means of closing all openings through which water could otherwise enter and destroy the reserve buoyancy are extremely comprehensive.
Inadequate closing arrangements for anything such as hatchways, machinery space openings, ventilators, air pipes, cargo ports, scuppers, inlets, and side scuttles would be extremely hazardous.

18. Describe how the calculated freeboard is obtained from tabulated freeboard.
Calculated freeboard: a term used to indicate the summer freeboard value as determined by the application of ‘corrections’ (obtained from the Regulations) to the Tabular Freeboard for a type ‘A’ ship, or ‘Basic Freeboard’ for a type ‘B’ ship, depending upon how the characteristics of the ship in question differs from the characteristics of the ‘standard ship’
Note: The ‘corrections’ are generally applied as follows:
– increase freeboard if Cb greater than 0.68
– increase freeboard if L/D ratio is less than 15
– reduction of freeboard for having superstructures & trunks
– deficiency in sheer, from standard profile, would involve increase in freeboard, whilst excess shear will result in a deduction in freeboard
– may require to increase freeboard if minimum ‘bow height’ not obtained when at summer loadline