It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Waterline#Load line. (Discuss)

The Plimsoll line is the mark on the hull of a ship that shows where the waterline is when the ship is loaded to full capacity according to the condition of the water at the point of loading. Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... Waterline refers to an imaginary line marking the level at which ship or boat floats in the water. ... A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... For other uses, see Ship (disambiguation). ... Waterline refers to an imaginary line marking the level at which ship or boat floats in the water. ...

Plimsoll line

The official name is the International Load Line, since the Plimsoll line is an international load limit standard. It was named after Samuel Plimsoll, who instigated the passage of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1875, which established the marking of a load line on every cargo ship. This was to prevent the practice of launching deliberately overloaded coffin ships, which were intended to sink so that the owner could collect the insurance money. Image File history File links Plimsoll_line. ... Image File history File links Plimsoll_line. ... Memorial to Samuel Plimsoll on Victoria Embankment London Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 – 3 June 1898) was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line. ... Hapag-Lloyd Container ship Container ship A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. ... A coffin ship was the name given to the ships that carried Irish emmigrants escaping the effects of the potato famine. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ...

The letters on the load line have the following meanings:

• TF - Tropical Fresh Water
• F - Fresh Water
• T - Tropical Sea Water
• S - Summer Sea Water
• W - Winter Sea Water
• WNA - Winter North Atlantic

The classification society that is repsonsible for classing and surveying the vessel may have additional letters painted: In the shipping industry, classification societies are non-governmental organizations or groups of professionals, ship surveyors and representatives of offices that promote the safety and protection of the environment of ships and offshore structures. ...

• AB - American Bureau of Shipping
• LR for Lloyd's Register
• NV for Det Norske Veritas, etc.

The Plimsoll shoe is named for the shoe's horizontal lines, which resemble the Plimsoll line. American Bureau of Shipping is a Classification Society with headquarters in Houston, Texas. ... The Lloyds Register Group is an independent risk management organisation providing risk assessment and risk mitigation solutions and management systems certification. ... DNV or Det Norske Veritas is a Norwegian company established in 1864. ... Plimsoll shoe A plimsoll or plimsoll shoe is a type of athletic shoe with a canvas upper and rubber sole, developed as beachwear in the 1830s by the Liverpool Rubber Company (later to become Dunlop). ...