what is plimsoll line?

Answer 1

A ship never completley floats on water, a part of it is always submerged below the water surface depending upon its weight. The Plimsoll line is a line drawn on the lower end of ships, marking the maximum level to which the ship can sink into water after its tare capacity is full. If the water level goes above the Plimsoll line in the event of overloading or other technical problems, it is considered dangerous as the ship may sink.

Answer 2

Plimsoll Mark

Answer 3

Many commercial ships have a symbol called a Load line painted on each side of the ship. This symbol, also called a International load line or Plimsoll line, marks the level to which the ship can be safely loaded. As cargo is brought on board the ship submerges and the symbol dips farther into the water.

Before these symbols were made compulsory many ships were lost due to overloading. Sometimes ships were intentionally overloaded in the hope of collecting insurance money. Ships carrying emigrants from Europe to America were also lost. The British social reformer and politician Samuel Plimsoll advocated improved safety standards, particularly at sea, and in his honour the mark bears his name.

Answer 4

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what is plimsoll line?

Answer 5

The plimsoll line is a measurement of the depth of the hull. It shows how heavily loaded a ship is. It is a marking on the hull to show how much is below water. It tells how much ballast is in the boat and how deep it is riding.

Answer 6

What did Plimsoll discover?---------------------
When he began to investigate, Plimsoll found the problem was even worse than he had expected. He began to campaign in parliament with the aim of improving safety at sea. Many ordinary people became very interested in his book and his campaign. In 1872, a Royal Commission on Unseaworthy Ships was set up to look at evidence and recommend changes. Despite several defeats in parliament, Plimsoll continued in his fight until load lines became compulsory. He became so famous that several popular songs were written about him. The verses below are from 'A Cheer for Plimsoll', written and sung by Fred Albert in 1876.

So a cheer for Samuel Plimsoll and let your voices blend
In praise of one who surely has proved the sailors' friend
Our tars upon the ocean he struggles to defend
Success to Samuel Plimsoll for he's the sailors' friend.

There was a time when greed and crime did cruelly prevail
and rotten ships were sent on trips to founder in the gale
When worthless cargoes well-insured would to the bottom go
And sailors' lives were sacrificed that men might wealthy grow.

For many a boat that scarce could float was sent to dar the wave
'til Plimsoll wrote his book of notes our seamen's lives to save
His enemies then tried to prove that pictures false he drew
but with English pluck to his task he stuck, a task he deemed so true.



When did the use of a load line become compulsory?--------------
The Merchant Shipping Act of 1876 made load lines compulsory. However, the position of the line was not fixed by law until 1894. In 1906, foreign ships were also required to carry a load line if they visited British ports. Since then, the line has been known in Britain as the Plimsoll Line. To this day, it still carries the name of the MP who fought such a long struggle in parliament to win better safety conditions for ships' crews. Together with other important changes made to ships in the Victorian period, load lines helped to preserve the lives of ships' crews and passengers.


How did the load line work?------------------------------
It was painted on the side of merchant ships. When a ship was loaded, the water level was not supposed to go above the line. However, the water could reach different parts of the line as its temperature and saltiness varied with season and location. The basic symbol, of a circle with a horizontal line passing through its centre, is now recognised worldwide.


The load line today:----------------------------------------------------
The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea defines the Plimsoll Line as:

... A mark painted on the sides of British merchant ships which indicates the draught levels to which a ship may be loaded with cargo for varying conditions of season and location. The Plimsoll Mark shows six loading levels, those which may be used in tropical fresh water; fresh water; tropical sea water; summer, sea water; winter, sea water; and winter, North Atlantic, for vessels under 100 metres (330 ft) in length.
The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea, ed. Peter Kemp (Oxford University Press)

Answer 7

a load line or a set of load-line markings on an oceangoing cargo ship -- called also Plimsoll line

Answer 8

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What is Plimsoll Line on Ships?
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FEBRUARY 15, 2013 BY SOUMYAJIT DASGUPTA

Merchant ships have a marking on their hulls known as the Plimsoll line or the Plimsoll mark, which indicates the limit until which ships can be loaded with enough cargo. Internationally, the Plimsoll line on a ship is officially referred to as the International load line. Every type of ship has a different level of floating and he Plimsoll line on a ship generally varies from one vessel to another.



Technically, no ship is able to absolutely float above, as it travels across the waters. A certain portion of the ship is always immersed in the sea water and the level of submerging is decided by the gross weight of the respective ship. Even the type of water in which the ship is floating influences the application of the load line. Sometimes even the oceanic regions and changing seasons affect the Plimsoll mark, as well. Researchers have found out that the temperature and salinity of the water also plays a key role in deciding the height until which the ship rests in the water.

load line

Why should ships have a Plimsoll line?

The International load line is very essential to ensure safe and smooth sailing of cargo-loaded vessels in the sea. Seafarers should be wary of the fact that the water level should not rise above the line markers due to surcharging of cargo or any technological fault. It might prove to be severely unsafe to the ship as tactless overloading of heavy shipment would sink the ship’s stability. Crossing the assigned limit of the Plimsoll mark or the waterline is considered violation of an international shipping act and can even land the ship’s crew, including the Captain, in deep trouble.

How was the load line used in the past?

Earlier, the line markers used to be marked on the sides of the merchant ships using paint, and the sailors tried to follow the theory that the weight of the cargo should not cause the draught level of the water to rise above the water line. The primary symbol used to indicate the international load line is a circle with horizontally marked line cutting through the center of the respective circle.

How did the International load line become mandatory?

Samuel Plimsoll, a widely known personality and esteemed as the founder of the Plimsoll line, was a famous merchant and also a dedicated shipping reformer. He was an active member for the British Parliament and had influenced the Parliament to formulate The Merchant Shipping Act in the year 1875. He was highly concerned with the safety of the people working in the maritime world. He disliked the organizers of the ships which drowned due to excessive goods that were dumped without any idea about the capacity. He even took the time to conduct some serious research and was grieved to discover the sorry state of affairs. He once found out that nearly a thousand British sailors lose their lives due to the uninformed overloading. Plimsoll was deeply affected by this and he was determined to bring about a change, to protect the sailors. He thus devised the Plimsoll line for types of merchant ships.

According to this reform, all cargo ships should have a load line marked on their hulls, to indicate the limit until which the ships can hold cargo. The line markers points at the maximum depth of safety till which the shipment can be loaded. Thus, Samuel Plimsoll was the pioneer of the concept of the international load line and his contribution holds great significance in the maritime world. The law found great coverage and it was practically applied to the outgoing foreign ships from the ports of Britain, and other countries observing strict nautical standards also started following the international load line rule. The invention of the Plimsoll line proved to be a breakthrough for maintaining safety on board ships, and after it was implemented in Britain, many countries followed the lead, immediately.

In the year of 1930, the International load line was enforced in around 54 countries. In 1968, a new discovery made its rounds in the nautical market. It was an improvisation of the former Plimsoll mark, and involved the application of a smaller load-line for the new bulky ships. The members of the Board of Trade passed an order that the load line was to be painted on all cargo ships. This occurred in the year of 1980.

The contribution of Samuel Plimsoll to the shipping industry is legendary and of great significance. It is due to his sincere efforts that the dangers of ship capsizing were reduced and several lives have been saved at the sea. The Plimsoll line is now deemed mandatory. This symbol is now accepted all over the world and the water line still carries the name of its pioneer, Samuel Plimsoll, as a tribute to the great Member of Parliament.

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Answer 9

plimsoll line

Answer 10

Don't waste your time reading long previous answers!

Plimsoll Line is simply define as:
"mark of a level to which the ship can be safely loaded"