Weather deck
12.—(1) The bulkhead deck or a deck above the bulkhead deck shall be weathertight. All openings in an exposed weathertight deck shall have coamings of adequate height and strength and shall be provided with efficient and rapid means of closing so as to make them weathertight. Freeing ports, open rails and scuppers shall be fitted as necessary for rapidly clearing the weather deck of water under all weather conditions.
(2) In passenger ships constructed on or after 1st July 1997, the open end of air pipes terminating within a superstructure shall be at least 1 m above the waterline when the ship heels to either an angle of 15 degrees, or the maximum angle of heel during intermediate stages of flooding, as determined by direct calculation, whichever is the greater. Alternatively, air pipes from tanks other than oil tanks may discharge through the side of the superstructure. The provisions of this paragraph are without prejudice to the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Load Lines) Rules 1968.