Merchant Shipping Act
(Chapter 179, Section 236)
Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Regulations
Rg 5
REVISED EDITION 1990
(25th March 1992)
[21st December 1971]
These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Regulations.
Chapter I
General Provisions
Part ADefinitions
Regulation 1
Definitions
In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —
“approved” means approved by the Director;
[S 57/96 wef 02/02/1996]
“Convention” means the International Convention on Load Lines signed in London on 5th April 1966, and the regulations annexed thereto;
“Convention country” means a country the government of which has accepted the Convention;
[Subst. by S 57/96 wef 02/02/1996]
“Convention ship” means any ship, being a ship to which sections 218 to 236 of the Act apply not being a Singapore ship, which —
(a)is registered in a Convention country or, not being registered in such country or elsewhere, flies the flag of a Convention country; and
(b)is either an existing ship of not less than 150 tonnes gross tonnage or a new ship of not less than 79 feet (24 metres) in length;
“existing ship” means a ship which is not a new ship;
“international voyage” means a voyage from Singapore to a port or place outside Singapore or a voyage to Singapore from a port or place outside Singapore;
“length of ship (L)” means 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or the length from the fore side of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, if that be the greater. In ships designed with a rake of keel the waterline on which this length is measured should be parallel to the designed waterline;
“Load Line Exemption Area” means that area bounded by an imaginary line drawn from a point on the west side of the Malay Peninsula in latitude 10° North along the coast of Asia to a point in Cochin China in latitude 11° North; thence to latitude 8° Noρτη, λoνγιτυδε 110° Eαστ; thence to latitude 8° Noρτη, λoνγιτυδε 125° Eαστ; thence to latitude 0°, λoνγιτυδε 140° Eαστ; τηενχε τo λατιτυδε 0° λoνγιτυδε 160° Eαστ; thence to latitude 11° South, longitude 170° East; thence to latitude 23½° South, longitude 170° East; thence to latitude 23½° South, longitude 160° East; thence to the east side of Cape York at latitude 11° South; from the west side of Cape York at latitude 11° South to Cape Wessel and Wessel Island; thence along the Australian coast to Port Darwin (Cape Charles); thence to latitude 10° South, longitude 109° East; thence to Christmas Island; thence to latitude 2° Noρτη, λoνγιτυδε 94° Eαστ; τηενχε to latitude 6° 30′ Noρτη, λoνγιτυδε 94° Eαστ; and thence to the starting point but excluding ports and places under the jurisdiction of Australia;
“new ship” means a ship, the keel of which is laid, or which is at a similar stage of construction, on or after 21st December 1971.
[S 57/96 wef 02/02/1996]
Regulation 1AApplication
These Regulations shall apply to all ships engaged on international voyages except —
(a)ships of war;
(b)wooden ships of primitive build not fitted with any mechanical means of propulsion;
(c)ships solely employed in the fishing industry; and
(d)pleasure yachts not engaged in trade.
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Part BSurveys and Certificates
Regulation 2Application to Certifying Authority for the survey of a Ship
(1)  The Certifying Authority for the purposes of these Regulations shall be the Director of Marine and any other organisation authorised by the Minister under the Merchant Shipping (Authorised Organisations) Regulations 1996.
[G.N. No. S 44/96]
[Subst. by S 57/96 wef 02/02/1996]
(2)  Every application for the survey of a ship under section 219(1) of the Act for the purpose of the issue of a load line certificate shall be made to the Certifying Authority by or on behalf of the owner of the ship, who shall furnish to the Certifying Authority such plans, drawings, specifications and other documents and information relating to the design and construction of the ship as the Certifying Authority may require.
Regulation 3Load Line Survey
After receipt of the application and the documents and information required by regulation 2, the Certifying Authority shall cause the ship to be surveyed by a surveyor in order to ascertain —
(a)whether the ship complies with the requirements of Chapter II, III or IV relating to the conditions of assignment of freeboard to ships as are applicable to the ship; and
(b)such other data as may be necessary —
(i)for the assignment of freeboard to the ship in accordance with the provisions of Chapter II, III or IV;
(ii)to enable information to be supplied to the master of the ship pursuant to regulations 25 and 26.
Regulation 4Surveyor’s Report
(1)  On completion of the survey the surveyor shall furnish to the Certifying Authority a report giving the results of the survey and his findings in relation to the matters specified in regulation 3.
(2)  There shall be appended to the report a record of particulars of the ship as are required by the Certifying Authority to enable them to assign the appropriate freeboard to the ship.
Regulation 5Assignment of Freeboards
(1)  The Certifying Authority shall, if satisfied on receipt of the surveyor’s report referred to in regulation 4 that the ship complies with the relevant requirements of Chapter II, III or IV as are applicable to her, assign freeboards to the ship in accordance with those provisions.
(2)  On assigning freeboards the Certifying Authority shall furnish to the owner of the ship —
(a)particulars of the freeboards so assigned;
(b)directions specifying —
(i)which of the load lines described in Part C are to be marked on the sides of the ship in accordance with the provisions of the said Part;
(ii)the position in which these load lines, the deck line and the load lines are to be so marked; and
(c)two copies of the surveyor’s report.
Regulation 6Issue of Load Line Certificates
The Certifying Authority shall, on being satisfied that the ship has been duly marked in accordance with the directions referred to in regulation 5, issue to the owner of a ship —
(a)in the case of an existing ship of not less than 150 tonnes gross tonnage, and in the case of a new ship of not less than 79 feet (24 metres) in length, a load line certificate to be called an International Load Line Certificate (1966); and
(b)in the case of any other ship, a load line certificate to be called a Local Freeboard Certificate:
Provided that a Local Freeboard Certificate may be issued to an existing ship of more than 150 tonnes gross tonnage or a new ship of more than 79 feet (24 metres) in length if such ship is plying in the Load Line Exemption Area and complies with the requirements of Chapter IV as are applicable to the ships plying in the Load Line Exemption Area.
Regulation 7Purpose of Local Freeboard Certificate
A Local Freeboard Certificate issued to a ship under regulation 6 shall be valid only for voyages within the Load Line Exemption Area or in such other areas as may be permitted by the Certifying Authority in special cases.
Regulation 8Duration of Load Line Certificate
(1)  A load line certificate shall be valid until a date to be determined by the Certifying Authority not being a date more than 5 years after the date of completion of the survey referred to in regulation 3.
(2)  A load line certificate issued to a ship by the Certifying Authority shall cease to be valid upon the transfer of such ship to the flag of another country.
Regulation 9Extension of Load Line Certificate
(1)  Where —
(a)application has been made to the Certifying Authority by the owner of a ship in respect of which a load line certificate is in force for the issue of a load line certificate in respect of the ship to take effect on the expiry of the current certificate; and
(b)following such application the ship has been duly surveyed in accordance with regulation 3,
the Certifying Authority may, if it is satisfied on receipt of the surveyor’s report that the ship complies with Chapter II, III or IV (other than those relating to stability) applicable to her and has received notification from the Minister that the ship complies with those requirements insofar as they related to stability, but considers that it will not be reasonably practicable under the circumstances to issue the load line certificate applied for before the date of expiry of the current certificate, extend the period of validity specified in the current certificate for a period not exceeding 5 months.
(2)  When the period of validity of a load line certificate has been extended under paragraph (1), no such extension shall have effect unless particulars of the date to which the period of validity is extended, together with particulars of the place at the date on which such extension was given, are endorsed by the Certifying Authority on the current certificate.
(3)  The period of validity of any load line certificate coming into effect immediately on the expiry of a certificate extended pursuant to this regulation shall not exceed a period of 5 years commencing on the date of completion of the survey referred to in paragraph (1).
Regulation 10Periodical Inspection of Ships
(1)  Every ship in respect of which a load line certificate is in force shall be periodically inspected by a surveyor in accordance with this regulation in order to ensure that —
(a)the fittings and appliances for the protection of openings, the guard rails, the freeing ports and the means of access to the crew’s quarters in the ship are in an effective condition; and
(b)no changes have been made or taken place in the hull of superstructure of the ship such as to render no longer accurate the data on the basis of which freeboards were assigned to the ship.
(2)  An application for the inspection shall be made by or on behalf of the owner of the ship to the Certifying Authority, by whom the Load Line Certificate was issued who shall appoint a surveyor to carry out the inspection.
(3)  The surveyor may in the course of any such inspection require the carrying out of tests considered by him to be necessary to establish that the ship complies with the requirements of paragraph (1).
(4)  Inspection of a ship pursuant to this regulation shall be carried out on or within 3 months before or after each anniversary of the date of completion of the survey leading to the issue of the load line certificate:
Provided that, unless the Certifying Authority otherwise consents, the intervals between inspection shall not be less than 9 months or more than 15 months.
(5)  The surveyor, if satisfied after inspection that the ship complies with the requirements of paragraph (1), shall endorse a record of the inspection and of the fact —
(a)in the case of an International Load Line Certificate (1966), that the ship was found to comply with the relevant provisions of the Convention; and
(b)in the case of a Local Freeboard Certificate, that the ship was found to comply with the relevant provisions of Chapter II, III or IV,
on the load line certificate in the space provided.
Regulation 11Exemption and Exemption Certificates
(1)  Ships when engaged on international voyages between the near neighbouring ports of two or more Convention countries may be exempted by the Director from the provisions of these Regulations, so long as they are engaged on such voyages, if the Director and the governments of the states in which such ports are situated are satisfied that the sheltered nature or conditions of such voyages between such ports make it unreasonable or impractical to apply the provisions of these Regulations to ships engaged on such voyages.
(2)  The Director may exempt any ship which embodies features of a novel kind from any of the provisions of these Regulations the application of which might seriously impede research into the development of such features and their incorporation in ships engaged on international voyages. Any such ship shall, however, comply with safety requirements which, in the opinion of the Director, are adequate for the service for which it is intended and are such as to ensure the overall safety of the ship.
(3)  A ship which is not normally engaged on international voyages but which, in exceptional circumstances, is required to undertake a single international voyage may be exempted by the Director from any of the requirements of these Regulations, provided that it complies with safety requirements which, in the opinion of the Director, are adequate for the voyage which is to be undertaken by the ship.
(4)  A ship which is exempted under the provisions of this Regulation shall be issued with an International Load Line Exemption Certificate or a Local Freeboard Exemption Certificate.
[Subst. by S 57/96 wef 02/02/1996]
Regulation 12Convention Certificates
(1)  The circumstances in which certificates which are issued as International Load Line Certificates (1966) in respect of Convention ships by governments other than the Government of Singapore shall be recognised for the purpose of the Act are as follows:
(a)the certificate shows by its terms that it was issued in respect of the ship by a government, being either —
(i)the government of the Convention country in which the ship is registered or, if the ship is not registered in any such country or elsewhere, the government of the Convention country whose flag she flies; or
(ii)the government of any other Convention country stated in the certificate stated to have issued the certificate at the request of a country specified in sub-paragraph (a)(i).
or by a person or organisation under the authority of such a government;
(b)the certificate is in the official language or languages of the issuing country and, if the language used is neither English nor French, includes in its text a translation into one of those languages;
(c)the certificate is in the form set out in Annex III to the Convention for an International Load Line Certificate (1966) and contains all the particulars required by such form;
(d)the certificate shows that it is currently in force and applicable to the voyage in respect of which clearance or transire is required;
(e)the period for which the certificate is expressed to be valid does not exceed 5 years from the date of issue;
(f)any extension of the period for which the certificate is expressed to be valid is duly endorsed on the certificate by the issuing authority and does not exceed 5 months;
(g)periodical inspections of the ship to which the certificate relates, being inspections required by Article 14 (1)(c) of the Convention, are shown duly endorsed on the certificate by the issuing authority;
(h)the ship to which the certificate relates —
(i)if registered in a Convention country when the certificate was issued, remains registered in that country; or
(ii)if not so registered when the certificate was issued, either has since been registered in the Convention country by or on behalf of the government of which the certificate was issued and remains so registered, or flies the flag of that Convention country.
(2)  The circumstances in which load line exemption certificates which, in accordance with the Convention, are issued in respect of convention ships by governments other than the Government of Singapore shall have the like effect for the purposes of the Act as if they were valid load line exemption certificates issued under the Act are those specified in paragraph (1)(a) to (h) subject to the substitution for the reference in sub-paragraph (c) to an International Load Line Certificate (1966) or reference to an International Load Line Exemption Certificate.
Regulation 13Form of Certificates
Certificates issued under these Regulations shall be in the form set out in Chapter VI.
Part CLoad Lines and Marks
Regulation 14Appropriate Marks
In this Part, “appropriate marks”, in relation to a ship, means the load lines directed to be marked on the ship pursuant to regulation 5(2)(b) and the deck-line and load line mark.
Regulation 15Marking
On receipt from the Certifying Authority of the particulars and directions referred to in regulation 5 the owner of the ship shall cause the appropriate marks to be marked on each side of the ship in accordance with the requirements of this Part.
Regulation 16Deck Line
The deck line is a horizontal line 300 millimetres (12 inches) in length and 25 millimetres (1 inch) in breadth. It shall be marked amidships on each side of the ship, and its upper edge shall normally pass through the point where the continuation outwards of the upper surface of the freeboard deck intersects the outer surface of the shell (as illustrated in Figure 1), provided that the deck line may be placed with reference to another fixed point on the ship on condition that the freeboard is correspondingly corrected. The location of the reference point and the identification of the freeboard deck shall in all cases be indicated on the International Load Line Certificate (1966).
Regulation 17Load Line Mark
The Load Line Mark shall consist of a ring 300 millimetres (12 inches) in outside diameter and 25 millimetres (1 inch) wide which is intersected by a horizontal line 450 millimetres (18 inches) in length and 25 millimetres (1 inch) in breadth, the upper edge of which passes through the centre of the ring. The centre of the ring shall be placed amidships and at a distance equal to the assigned summer freeboard measured vertically below the upper edge of the deck line (as illustrated in Figure 2).
Regulation 18Lines to be used with Load Line Mark
(1)  The load lines described in this regulation indicate the maximum depth to which a ship marked therewith may be loaded in the circumstances described in those Chapters of these Regulations which are applicable to that particular ship.
(2)  The lines which indicate the load line assigned in accordance with these Regulations shall be horizontal lines 230 millimetres (9 inches) in length and 25 millimetres (1 inch) in breadth which extend forward of, unless expressly provided otherwise, and at right angles to, a vertical line 25 millimetres (1 inch) in breadth marked at a distance 540 millimetres (21 inches) forward of the centre of the ring (as illustrated in Figure 2).
(3)  The following load lines shall be used:
(i)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.
(ii)The Winter Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked W.
(iii)The Winter North Atlantic Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked WNA.
(iv)The Tropical Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked T.
(v)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.
(vi)The Tropical Fresh Water Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked TF, and marked abaft the vertical line.
(4)  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 millimetres (9 inches) in length and 25 millimetres (1 inch) in breadth which extend abaft unless expressly provided otherwise, and are at right angles to, a vertical 25 millimetres (1 inch) in breadth marked at a distance 540 millimetres (21 inches) abaft the centre of the ring (as illustrated in Figure 3).
(5)  The following timber load lines shall be used: —
(i)The Summer Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LS.
(ii)The Winter Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LW.
(iii)The Winter North Atlantic Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LWNA.
(iv)The Tropical Timber Load Line indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LT.
(v)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.
(vi)The Fresh Water Timber Load Line in the Tropical Zone indicated by the upper edge of a line marked LTF and marked forward of the vertical line.
(6)  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.
(7)  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 Convention, only the Fresh Water Load Line need be marked.
(8)  On sailing ships only the Fresh Water Load Line and the Winter North Atlantic Load Line need be marked (as illustrated in Figure 4).
(9)  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.
(10)  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 (2).
UNKNOWN
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Regulation 19Mark of Certifying Authority
The mark of the Certifying Authority by whom the load lines are assigned may be indicated alongside the load line ring above the horizontal line which passes through the centre of the ring, or above and below it. This mark shall consist of not more than four initials to identify the Certifying Authority’s name, each measuring approximately 115 millimetres (4½ inches) in height and 75 millimetres (3 inches) in width.
Regulation 20Details of Marking
The ring, lines and letters shall be painted in white or yellow on a dark background or in black on a light background. They shall also be permanently marked on the sides of the ships to the satisfaction of the Certifying Authority. The marks shall be plainly visible and, if necessary, special arrangements shall be made for this purpose.
Regulation 21Verification of Marks
The International Load Line Certificate (1966) shall not be delivered to the ship until a surveyor of ships has certified that the marks are correctly and permanently indicated on the ship’s sides.
Part DMiscellaneous
Regulation 22Equivalents
Where these Regulations require that a particular fitting, material, appliance or apparatus, or type thereof, shall be fitted or carried in a ship, or that any particular provision shall be made, the Certifying Authority may with the approval of the Minister allow any other fitting, material, appliance or apparatus, or type thereof, to be fitted or carried, or any other provision to be made in that ship, if he is satisfied that such fitting, material, appliance or apparatus, or type thereof, or provision, is at least as effective as that required by these Regulations.
Regulation 23Repairs, Alterations and Modifications
(1)  A ship which undergoes repairs, alterations, modifications and outfitting related thereto shall continue to comply with at least the requirements previously applicable to the ship. An existing ship in such a case shall not, as a rule, comply to a lesser extent with the requirements for a new ship than it did before.
(2)  Repairs, alterations and modifications of a major character and outfitting related thereto should meet the requirements for a new ship in so far as the Certifying Authority considers reasonable and practicable.
Regulation 24Zones and Areas
(1)  A ship to which these Regulations apply shall comply with the requirements applicable to that ship in the zones and areas described in Chapter V.
(2)  A port standing on the boundary line between two zones or areas shall be regarded as within the zone or area from or into which the ship arrives or departs.
Regulation 25Submersion
(1)  Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) the appropriate load lines on the sides of the ship corresponding to the season of the year and the zone or area in which the ship may be shall not be submerged at anytime when the ship puts to sea, during the voyage or on arrival.
(2)  When a ship is in fresh water of unit density the appropriate load line may be submerged by the amount of the fresh water allowance shown on the International Load Line Certificate (1966). When the density is other than unity, an allowance shall be made proportional to the difference between 1.025 and the actual density.
(3)  When a ship departs from a port situated on a river or inland waters, deeper loading shall be permitted corresponding to the weight of fuel and all other materials required for consumption between the point of departure and the sea.
Regulation 26Information to be supplied to the master
(1)  The master of every new ship shall be supplied with sufficient information, in an approved form, to enable him to arrange for the loading and ballasting of his ship in such a way as to avoid the creation of any unacceptable stresses in the ship’s structure, provided that this requirement need not apply to any particular length, design or class of ship where the Certifying Authority considers it to be unnecessary.
(2)  The master of every new ship which is not already provided with stability information under an international convention for the safety of life at sea in force shall be supplied with sufficient information in an approved form to give him guidance as to the stability of the ship under varying conditions of service, and a copy shall be furnished to the Certifying Authority.
Regulation 27Posting up of certificates
All certificates issued under these Regulations or certified copies thereof shall be posted up in a conspicuous place in the ship.
Regulation 28Penalty
(1)  The owner and the master of a ship to which these Regulations apply shall —
(a)comply with these Regulations in respect of any matter that is governed thereby; and
(b)ensure that the ship and its equipment comply with these Regulations.
(2)  Any owner or master who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and the ship may be detained.
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