TIMOTEO, RHOMMUEL M.

MARLAW300 – 54965

The IMO Load Lines convention of 1966 includes provisions for determining ship freeboard by
subdivision and damage stability calculations. It has long been recognized that limiting the draught to
which a ship can be loaded contributes significantly to her safety. These limits are expressed in terms of
freeboards, which, along with external weathertight and watertight integrity, are the primary goal of the
Convention. The regulations take into account the potential hazards that exist in various zones and
seasons. The technical annex includes a number of additional safety measures for doors, freeing ports,
hatchways, and other items. The main purpose of these measures is to ensure the watertight integrity of
ships' hulls below the freeboard deck. All assigned load lines, as well as the deck line, must be marked
amidships on each side of the ship. Ships designed to transport timber deck cargo have a lower
freeboard because the deck cargo protects against wave impact.

The Convention includes Annex I, 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.

The 1966 Convention allowed for positive acceptance of amendments. The Maritime Safety
Committee, the IMO Assembly, or a Conference of Governments could all consider amendments.
Amendments would then enter into force 12 months after two-thirds of Contracting Parties accepted
them. In practice, amendments adopted between 1971 and 1983 never received enough acceptances to
enter into force.