.1 Load lines should be assigned to surface units
as calculated under the terms of the 1966 Load
Line Convention and should be subject to all the conditions
of assignment of that Convention.
.2 Where it is necessary to assign a greater than
minimum freeboard to meet intact or damage stability requirements
or for any other restriction imposed by the Administration, Regulation 6(6) of the 1966 Load Line Convention
should apply. When such a freeboard is assigned, seasonal marks above
the centre of the ring should not be marked and any seasonal marks
below the centre of the ring should be marked. If a unit is assigned
a greater than minimum freeboard at the request of the owner, Regulation 6(6) need not apply.
.3 Where wells such as moonpools are arranged
within the hull, the volume of the well should be deducted from the
volume of displacement of the unit used for the calculation of the
block coefficient. An addition should be made to the freeboard, equal
to the volume of the well divided by the waterplane area to compensate
for the loss of buoyancy.
.4 The procedure described in 3.7.2.3 should also
apply in cases of small notches or relatively narrow cut-outs at the
stern of the unit.
.5 Narrow wing extensions at the stern of the
unit should be considered as appendages and excluded for the determination
of length (L) and for the calculation of freeboards. The Administration
should determine the effect of such wing extensions with regard to
the requirements for the strength of unit based upon length (L).