The Plimsoll line is a reference mark located on a ship’s hull that indicates the maximum depth to which the vessel may be safely immersed when loaded with cargo. This depth varies with a ship’s dimensions, type of cargo, time of year, and the water densities encountered in port and at sea. Once these factors have been accounted for, a ship’s captain can determine the appropriate Plimsoll line needed for the voyage.
A load line, also called Plimsoll mark,is a marking indicating the extent to which the weight of a load may safely submerge a ship, by way of a waterline limit.
It is positioned amidships on both sides of a vessel’s hull and indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship may be loaded for specific geographical areas and seasons of the year
