The Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Regulations 1998

PART V FREEBOARDS

Types of freeboard

28.  The freeboards that can be assigned to a ship under these Regulations are the Summer freeboard; Tropical freeboard; Winter freeboard; Winter North Atlantic freeboard; Fresh Water freeboard and Tropical Fresh Water freeboard. In the case of ships carrying Timber the freeboards that may be assigned are Summer Timber freeboard; Winter Timber freeboard; Winter North Atlantic Timber freeboard; Tropical Timber freeboard; Fresh Water Timber freeboard and Tropical Fresh Water Timber freeboard.

Determination of freeboards

29.—(1) Except as otherwise provided for in regulation 30 the freeboards assigned to a new ship shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice. MSN 1701(M).

(2) The freeboards assigned to an existing ship shall be determined in accordance with the provisions applicable to the ship under the law in force immediately before 21st July 1968:

• Provided that if an existing ship has been so constructed or modified as to comply with all the requirements of Schedule 2 of Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1701(M) applicable to a new ship of her type, and application is made for the assignment to her of freeboards determined in accordance with Schedule 4 of that Merchant Shipping Notice, such freeboards shall be assigned to her.

Greater than minimum freeboards

30.—(1) A freeboard determined in accordance with regulation 29 is the minimum freeboard that may be assigned to the ship.

(2) (a) Subject to subparagraph (b) below the Assigning Authority may however, if it is satisfied that the ship complies with the requirements of these Regulations, assign freeboards (other than Timber freeboards) which exceed the minimum freeboards by such an amount as it may determine.

(b) Timber freeboards shall not be assigned to a ship to which greater than minimum freeboards have been assigned.

(3) Where a freeboard greater than the minimum is assigned to a ship and the load line appropriate to that freeboard corresponds to, or is lower than, the position at which the lowest of the load lines appropriate to minimum freeboards would be marked then—

(a) load lines only appropriate to the greater than minimum Summer freeboard and Fresh Water freeboard shall be marked on the sides of the ship;

(b) the load line appropriate to the greater than minimum Summer freeboard shall be known as the “All Seasons load line” and shall consist of the horizontal line intersecting the load line mark;

(c) the vertical line described in regulation 18 shall be omitted;

(d) subject to the provisions of subparagraph (c) above, the Fresh Water load line shall be as described in regulation 18(1) and be marked accordingly.

Special position of deck-line: correction of freeboards

31.  In any ship where the deck line is marked in accordance with regulation 16(3), the freeboards assigned to the ship shall be corrected to allow for the vertical distance by which the position of the deck-line is altered by virtue of that paragraph. The reference point to which the deck-line has been so marked, and the identity of the deck which has been taken as the freeboard deck, shall be specified in the load line certificate issued to the ship.