Section 121: Submersion of load lines
consolidated text (as at 2011, amended since). juris shows the text as it was consolidated; it does not confirm that this is the law in force today.
121. Submersion of load lines
(1) Where a foreign ship is within any Port, and is marked with load lines,
the ship shall not be so loaded that—
(a) if the ship is in salt water and has no list, the appropriate load
line on each side of the ship is submerged; or
(b) in any other case, the appropriate load line on each side of the
ship would be submerged if the ship were in salt water and had
no list.
(2) In relation to a ship in respect of which a valid Convention Certificate
is produced, “load line”, in subsection (1), means a line marked on the ship
in the position of a load line specified in that certificate, and for the purposes
of any circumstances for which a particular load line is specified in the certificate, “appropriate load line” means the load line which, in accordance
with the certificate, indicates the maximum depth to which the ship may be
loaded in salt water in those circumstances.
(3) Where a valid Convention certificate is not produced in respect of a
ship, for the purposes of any circumstances prescribed by the Load Line
Regulations in accordance with section 114 (d), “appropriate load line”
means the load line which, in accordance with those regulations, indicates
the maximum depth to which the ship may be loaded in salt water in those
circumstances.
M62 – 61 [Issue 2]
Merchant Shipping Act
(4) Where, pursuant to the Load Line Regulations, a foreign passenger
ship is marked with subdivision load lines, and the lowest of those load lines
is lower than the line which, apart from this subsection, would be the appropriate load line, subsection (1) shall have effect as if that subdivision load
line was the appropriate load line for the purposes of this section.