Maritime Glossary
Load Line
Also known as: Plimsoll line, Plimsoll mark, International Load Line
A marking on a ship's hull indicating the maximum depth to which the vessel may be legally loaded.
Status: ActiveVerified: Source confidence: high (97%)
Full Definition
The load line (Plimsoll mark), championed by Samuel Plimsoll in the UK in 1876, indicates the deepest safe loading draught under the International Load Line Convention (1966/1988). The central disc and line correspond to the Summer load line in salt water. Additional marks cover Winter (W), Tropical (T), Fresh Water (F), Tropical Fresh Water (TF), and Winter North Atlantic (WNA). Loading beyond the mark is a criminal offence. The Load Line Certificate is a statutory document required by all flag states.
Domain Tags
safetyregulationvessel measurements