Load Line convention simplified

International Load Line Convention 1966 (ILLC) Simplified.

International LoadLine Convention is a IMO convention adopted on 5^th April 1966 and entered in to force on 21^st July 1968.

Why ILLC? (The Purpose)

The ILLC aims to establish uniform principles and rules with respect to limits which the ships engaged in international voyages may be loaded having regard to safeguarding life and property at sea.

Brief history.

The first LoadLine convention was adopted in 1930 based on the principle of reserve buoyancy. It was also recognised that adaquate freeboard ensures stability and to avoid excessive hull stresses due to overloading.

The ILLC 1966 have taken into account the freeboard by sub division and damage stability conditions.

The Structure of ILLC

The ILLC has 3 annexes. Annex 1 is further divided in to 4 chapters.

		ILLC
Annex 1		Annex 2		Annex 3
1. Chapter 1 - General		1. Zones, areas and seasonal periods		1. Certificates
2. Chapter 2 – Conditions of assignment of freeboard
3. Chapter 3 - Freeboards
4. Chapter 4 – Special requirements for ships assingned timber freeboards

Loadline ammendments that never came into force.

Various ammendments were adopted in years 1971, 1975, 1979 & 1983. They required positive acceptance of two thirds of the parties involved. This has not been reached, therefore never came into force.

So, What is TACIT Ammenndment procedure?

As you have read above, it takes a long time an ammendment to come into force by positive acceptance. In order to speed up this procedure, TACIT ammendment procedure was introduced which was included in 1988 protocol.

How does the tacit ammendment procedure work?

By tacit ammendment procedure an ammendment adopted to the International LoadLine Convention will enter into force 6 months after the deemed date of acceptance unless one third of the parties reject it.

Usually the duration from the date of adoption to date deemed acceptance is 2 years.

What happened to the 1995 ammendments?

The 1995 ammendments was adopted under the possitive acceptance method -did not enter into force were superseeded by 2003 ammendments.

2003 ammendments were adopted in June 2003 entered into force in 01^st Jan 2005.

Lets have a look at the contents of ILLC.

Annex I – Articles

There are 34 articles. A few important points mentioned below,

• Article 2 – Definitions
• Article 4 – Application
  • Applies to all ships engaged in international voyages
• Article 5 – Exemptions
  • 1 a) Ship's of war
  • b) New ships of less than 24 meters / 79 ft in length
  • c) Pleasure yachts not engaed in trade
  • e) Fishing vessels
  • 2 For ships navigating in Great Lakes, Caspian sea, The Plate.
• Ariticle 6- Exemptions
• Article 14- Initial, renewal inspections
• Article19- Duration and validity of certificate
• Article 31- Suspension

Annex I – Chapter 1 (Regulations 1 to 9) - General

Regulation Number	Description	Remarks
1	Strength of the ship
2	Application
3	Defintions of terms used in annexes
4	Deck line	Dimentions of the deck line described. Length = 300mm/ 12 inches, Thickness = 25mm/ 1 inch. Marked amidships on each sides.
5	Load Line mark
6	Lines to be used with Load Line mark
7	Mark of assigning authority
8	Details of marking
9	Verification of marks

Annex I – Chapter 2 (Regulations 10 to 26) – Conditions of assignment of freeboard

Regulation Number	Description	Remarks
10	Information to be supplied to the master
11	Bulkheads
12	Doors
13	Position of hatchways, doorways & ventilators
14	Cargo and otherhatchways
15	Hatchways cloased by portable covers & secured watertight by tarpaulins & batterning devices Hatchway coamings
16	Hatchways closed by watertight covers of steel or other equalant material fitted with gaskets and clamping devices
17	Machnery space openings
18	Misc, openings in freeboard & superstucture decks
19	Ventilators
20	Air Pipes
21	Cargo ports and other similar openings
22	Scuppers, inlets, & discharges
23	Side scuttles
24	Freeing ports
25	Protection of the crew
26	Special conditions of assignments for type 'A' ships.

Annex I – Chapter 3 (Regulations 27 to 40) – Freeboards

Regulation Number	Description	Remarks
27	Type of ships
28	Freeboard tables
29	Correction to the freeboard for ships under 100 mtrs (328 ft) in length
30	Correction for block co-efficient
31	Correction for depth
32	Correction for position of deck line
33	Standard height of superstructure
34	Length of superstructure
35	Effective length of superstructure
36	Trunks
37	Deduction for superstructure & trunks
38	Sheer
39	Minimum bow height
40	Minimum freeboard

Annex I – Chapter 4 (Regulations 41 to 45) – Special requirements for ships assigned timber freeboard.

Regulation Number	Description	Remarks
41	Application of this chapter
42	Definitions
43	Construction of ship
44	Stowage
45	Computaion of freeboard

Annex II – (Regulation 46 to 52) Zones, areas and seasonal periods

Regulation Number	Description	Remarks
46	Nothern winter seasonal zones and area
47	Sothern winter seasonal zone
48	Tropical zone
49	Seasonal tropical areas
50	Summer zones
51	Enclosed areas
52	The winter north atlantic loadline

Annex IV – Certificates

1. International Load Line Cetificate
2. Iternational Load Line Exemption Certificate