República Bolivariana de Venezuela

Ministerio del Poder Popular Para La Educación Superior Universitaria

Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe

Vicerrectorado Académico

Coordinación de idiomas

Maritime English VII

Section: “C-OP”

Plimsoll Mark

Loading Lines

Teacher: Elaborated by:

Cpt. Lenin Garcia Sadah Leget. I.D V-25.858.383

Catia la Mar, March 2022

What is a Plimsoll Line?

The plimsoll line is a reference mark located on a ship’s hull that indicates the
maximum depth 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

The plimsoll Mark contain The Following Load Lines:

 TF: Tropical Fresh Water

 T: Tropical
 F: Fresh water
 S: Summer
 W: Winter
 WNA: Winter north Atlantic

Registration authority:

 AB: Letters indicating the Registration authority (in this case American
Bureau of shipping; the circle with the line through it indicates whether or not
the cargo is loaded evenly)

WHO WAS SAMUEL PLIMSOLL?

Samuel Plimsoll (1824-1898) was a member of the British parliament who

was concerned with the loss of ships and crews due to vessel overloading. In
1876, he persuaded parliament to pass the unseaworthy Ships Bill, which
mandated marking a ship’s sides with a line that would disappear below the
waterline if the ship was overloaded. The line, also known as the Plimsoll mark,
is found midship on both the port and starboard hulls of cargo vessels and is
still used worldwide by the shipping industry.

The invention of the plimsoll Line proved to be a breakthrough for

maintaining safety onboard ships, and after it was implemented in Britain, many
countries followed the lead, immediately. The contribution of Samuel Plimsoll to
the shipping industry is legendary and of great significance. It is due to his
sincere efforts that the dangers of capsizing were reduced and several lives
have been saved at the sea.

LOAD LINES

Load line is a special marking positioned amidships which depicts the draft of
the vessel and the maximum permitted limit in distinct types of waters to which
the ship can be loaded.

The Complete load Line Markings consist of 3 vital parts

1. Deck Line: it is a horizontal line measuring 300mm by 25mm. it passes

through the upper surface of the freeboard.

2. Load Line Disc- it is a 300mm diameter and 25 mm thick round shaped

disc. Its intersected by a horizontal line. The upper edge of the horizontal
line marks the “summer saltwater line” also known as plimsoll line

3. Load Lines- Load lines are horizontal lines extending forward and aft
from a vertical line placed at a distance of 540mm from the centre of the
disc. They measure 230mm by 23mm. the upper surfaces of the load
lines indicate the maximum depths to which the ships may be
submerged in different seasons and circumstances (TF: Tropical Fresh
Water, T: Tropical, TF: Fresh water, S: Summer, W: Winter, WNA:
Winter north Atlantic)

The international load line is very essential to ensure safe and smooth
sailing of cargo loaded vessels in the sea. Seafarers should be wary of the fact
that the water level should not rise above the line markers due to surcharging of
cargo or any technological fault.

It might prove to be severely unsafe to the ship as tactless overloading of

heavy shipment would sink the ships stability. Crossing the assigned limit of the
plimsoll mark of the water line is considered a violation of an international
shipping act and can even land the ship’s crew, including the captain, in deep
trouble.
 Earlier, the line markers used to be marked on the sides of the merchant
ships using paint, and the sailors tried to follow the theory that the weight of the
cargo should not cause the draught level of the water to rise above the
waterline.

The primary symbol used to indicate the international load line is a circle
with horizontally marked line cutting through the centre of the respective circle