Load Line & Safety Construction Surveys

Question 1

What is the load line certificate? How many years is it valid for?

Answer 1

A certificated issued to a ship, if she is built and maintained thereafter, according to the requirements of the International Convention on Load Lines (1966)

• Issued by the Administration or Classification Society
• Validity is 5 years and subjected to Annual Survey
• Carried out as first survey when a new ship is completed, During this survey freeboard arrangements and conditions of assignment are made in accordance with International Regulations and Documentation

Question 2

Class - What is a notation of class?

Answer 2

The character symbols identify whether the ship is built under Classification society rules and suitability for sea-going service.

The Class notations detail the particular features of the ship which are required to be especially considered in order to verify where additional care has been taken in particular aspects of the design of the ship. These Class notations are subject to an approval process in order to satisfy Classification requirements.

100A1 NS2 Frigate, SA1, AIR
LMC, SCM, SDA, ESA1, RSA2, Ice Class 1C
MD, SEA, EER.

Question 3

Class - Preparations for Load Line / Annual Survey: Ships officers / Engineers should ensure the following items are in efficient condition, prior to the classification surveyor’s arrival onboard:

Answer 3

Plan - stability booklet/certificate
Prepare - HoD meeting assigning tasks
Conduct - Have survey, meeting, PPE, PTW?
Review - Address issues/deficiencies, receive cert

1. Load line marks, verified with existing load line certificate
2. Coamings and closing appliances of exposed hatch ways, hatch ways within super structure to be examined.
3. Watertight hatch covers are to be hose-tested for water-tightness.
4. Test Ventilators, check flap levers are free and locking pins are in place and secured by chain to ventilation casing.
5. Check Air Pipes and their closing means, flam traps for fuel oil tanks air pipes in good order.
6. Watertight doors and closing arrangements to be checked.
7. Scuppers and their discharge pipe and valves below the freeboard deck , checked for corrosion / wastage
8. Gangways and cargo ports below freeboard or superstructure deck to be checked.
9. General condition of hull as far as can be seen.

Question 4

Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate: What is is? Who is it issued to? Period of Validity? Subject to? In accordance with ? What is checked?

Answer 4

• Issued after survey to every cargo ship of 500 GRT and over by the government of Flag State
• Validity is 5 years, subjected to Initial, Annual, Intermediate, Renewal, Bottom surveys
• During Survey, following items must be in accordance with the requirements of SOLAS 1974 Convention
  
  • Structural integrity & Steering gear
  • Machinery (Main, Auxillary and electrical)
  • Stability & Watertight integrity
  • Fire protection, detection & extinction
  • External examination of ship’s bottom

Question 5

Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate: What is is? Who is it issued to? Period of Validity? Subject to? In accordance with ? What is checked ?

Answer 5

• Issued after survey to every cargo ship of 500 GRT and above by the government flag state.
• Validity is 5 years with initial, annual, periodical, renewal survey
• Safety Equipment Survey consist of inspection and demonstration of:
  
  • Fire Fighting Appliance
  • Life Saving Appliances, LSA
  • Navigation Equipment
  • Navigational Publications
  • Alarm Systems
  • Light, Shapes, Sounds
  • Pilot Boarding arrangements
    Form E - supplemented

Question 6

What makes a vessel seaworthy?

Answer 6

The International load line certificate makes the vessel seaworthy. Seaworthiness is everything to do with the load line certificate.

• Legal Obligations to keep a sea worthy vessel
  
  • Compliance
  • Certification
  • Crewing
  • Conduct
  • Condition
  • Safe Manning
  • Passage Planning etc

Question 7

How does an authority know where they are going to put a plimsol line?

Answer 7

• Maximum Displacement
• Is placed where you have enough reserve buoyancy that when you flood any one compartment the water level will still give you a minimum of 75mm freeboard
• Surveyor makes sure the mark is where it should be to rule out fraud
• Measure the margin line (upper deck) down to your all seasons mark making sure is is the same number of mm as stated on your certificate

Question 8

What will a surveyor check with regards to water / weather tight integrity and water freeing arrangements?

Answer 8

• Surveyor will check all water tight doors, weather tight doors, hatches, comings, vents from fuel oil tanks, sounding caps etc. (Anything that is a hole that could allow water in) Water freeing arrangements
• Freeing ports and scuppers
• Making sure that everything is good and no blockages or issues

Question 9

What is the difference between water tight and weather tight?

Answer 9

Watertight:

• Is the boundary between compartments that stops the movement of water in either direction
• Constructed to classification requirements and must withstand the maximum head of water that it can be subjected to.

Weather tight:

• Stops water form the outside coming in
• When testing you can do by hose test / chalk test With water tight integrity the surveyor will look at all the vent shafts and check every opening. When an initial LL Survey is complete the surveyor will draw up a “Condition of Assignment”, which shows every opening to the hull, how it closes, thickness of gaskets, height of coming to hatch, sounding cap, scupper. The condition of assignment will be asked for when a surveyor does an inspection.