Regulation 6 - Lines to be used with the load line mark
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Conventions - Load Lines, 1966/1988 - International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, as Amended by the Protocol of 1988 - Annex I - Regulations for Determining Load Lines - Chapter I - General - Regulation 6 - Lines to be used with the load line mark

Regulation 6 - Lines to be used with the load line mark

  (1) The lines which indicate the load line assigned in accordance with these regulations shall be horizontal lines 230 mm in length and 25 mm in breadth which extend forward of, unless expressly provided otherwise, and at right angles to, a vertical line 25 mm in breadth marked at a distance 540 mm forward of the centre of the ring (as illustrated in figure 6.1).

  (2) The following load lines shall be used:

  • (a) The Summer Load Line indicated by the upper edge of the line which passes through the centre of the ring and also by a line marked S.

  • (b) The Winter Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked W.

  • (c) The Winter North Atlantic Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked WNA.

  • (d) The Tropical Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked T.

  • (e) The Fresh Water Load Line in summer indicated by the upper edge of a line marked F. The Fresh Water Load Line in summer is marked abaft the vertical line. The difference between the Fresh Water Load Line in summer and the Summer Load Line is the allowance to be made for loading in fresh water at the other load lines.

  • (f) The Tropical Fresh Water Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked TF and marked abaft the vertical line.

  (3) If timber freeboards are assigned in accordance with these regulations, the timber load lines shall be marked in addition to ordinary load lines. These lines shall be horizontal lines 230 mm in length and 25 mm in breadth which extend abaft unless expressly provided otherwise, and are at right angles to, a vertical line 25 mm in breadth marked at a distance 540 mm abaft the centre of the ring (as illustrated in figure 6.2).

  (4) The following timber load lines shall be used:

  • (a) The Summer Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LS.

  • (b) The Winter Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LW.

  • (c) The Winter North Atlantic Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LWNA.

  • (d) The Tropical Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LT.

  • (e) The Fresh Water Timber Load Line in summer indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LF and marked forward of the vertical line. The difference between the Fresh Water Timber Load Line in summer and the Summer Timber Load Line is the allowance to be made for loading in fresh water at the other timber load lines.

  • (f) The Tropical Fresh Water Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LTF and marked forward of the vertical line.

  (5) Where the characteristics of a ship or the nature of the ship’s service or navigational limits make any of the seasonal lines inapplicable, these lines may be omitted.

  (6) Where a ship is assigned a greater than minimum freeboard so that the load line is marked at a position corresponding to, or lower than, the lowest seasonal load line assigned at minimum freeboard in accordance with the present Protocol, only the Fresh Water Load Line need be marked.

  (7) Where a Winter North Atlantic Load Line is identical with the Winter Load Line corresponding to the same vertical line, this load line shall be marked W.

  (8) Alternative/additional load lines required by other international conventions in force may be marked at right angles to and abaft the vertical line specified in paragraph (1).

Figure 6.1 Load line mark and lines to be used with this mark

Figure 6.2 Timber load line mark and lines to be used with this mark


Copyright 2022 Clasifications Register Group Limited, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved. Clasifications Register Group Limited, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as 'Clasifications Register'. Clasifications Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Clasifications Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.