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
• After thorough inspection a Load Line Certificate is issued and its validity is 5 years, subjected to Annual Survey
• Load Line Renewal Survey held at 5 year intervals from fate of build and whenever a periodical Special Survey is made. + During this survey, all freeboard items to be examined and load line markings to be verified. (With Trammel gauge)
• On satisfactory completion of the survey, an international load line certificate, valid for 5 years is issued.
• Load Line Annual Inspection carried out with 3 months +/- anniversary date of certificate
• Main purpose of Load Line survey is to examine that’s the ship construction complies with requirements of the convention.

Question 2

Class - What is a notation of class?

Answer 2

• When you have a class survey and they note something which is not quite inline with Class rules, they note on the certificate that the vessel needs to have remedial work carried out and will give a due date for such works to be completed.

Question 3

Class - What are the four areas that are inspected during a survey

Answer 3

• Structural Strength
• Watertight Integrity
• Stability
• Crew Quarter Protection
• Surveyor checks to see that your stability book is approved by Flag State or Classification Society (Administration) and that it is current
• If there is a 2% change in the light displacement - all stability workings need to be recalculated

Question 4

Class / Load line: Why is the condition of freeboard assignment important?

Answer 4

• Efficient means of protection must be provided for all openings to hull and superstructure, for protection of crew in heavy weather and for rapid freeing of water from the weather deck.
• Condition of Assignment must be maintained, at all times in satisfactory condition
• Annual Inspection to be made by assigning authorities, to ensure that they have been maintained in satisfactory condition for continued validity of Load Line Certificate

Question 5

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 5

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 6

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 6

• Issued after survey to every cargo ship of 500 GRT and over by the government of Flag State
• Validity is 5 years, subjected to survey at specific intervals
• During Survey, following items must be in accordance with the requirements of SOLAS 1974 Convention
  
  • Ship structure
  • Fire protection, detection & extinction
  • External examination of ship’s bottom
  • Electrical and Main / Auxiliary Machinery installations
  • Steering Gear
  • Pressure vessels and fittings

Question 7

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 7

• Issued after survey to every cargo ship of 500 GRT and above by the government flag state.
• Validity is 2 years and annual inspection of +/- 3 months of anniversary date
• Safety Equipment Survey consist of inspection and demonstration of:
  
  • Fire Fighting Appliance
  • Life Saving Appliances, LSA
  • Navigation Equipment
  • Vessel Documentation
  • Alarm Systems

Question 8

What makes a vessel seaworthy?

Answer 8

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
  • Safe Manning
  • Passage Planning etc
• When preparing for a load line survey you need to produce: a. Certificate b. Markings (mum) Min and Max freeboard for different tropical conditions

Question 9

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

Answer 9

• 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 10

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

Answer 10

• 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 11

What is the difference between water tight and weather tight?

Answer 11

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.