International Convention on Load Lines, 1966
Adoption: 5 April 1966
Entry into force: 21 July 1968
Introduction and history
- Load Lines 1966 – Annexes
- Amendments 1971, 1975, 1979, 1983
- Adoption of tacit amendment procedure 1988 Protocol
- The 1995 amendments
- Revision of Load Lines Convention
History
It has long been recognized that limitations on the draught to which a ship may be loaded make a significant contribution to her safety. These limits are given in the form of freeboards, which constitute, besides external weathertight and watertight integrity, the main objective of the Convention.
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. In the 1966 Load Lines convention, adopted by IMO, provisions are made determining the freeboard of tankers by subdivision and damage stability calculations. The regulations take into account the potential hazards present in different zones and different seasons. The technical annex contains several additional safety measures concerning 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 must be marked amidships on each side of the ship, together with the deck line. 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.
