### Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Load Line) Regulations 《商船(安全)(載重線)規例》

16. Load lines
(1) Load lines as described in this regulation and regulation 17 indicate the maximum depth to which a ship marked therewith may be loaded in the circumstances described in Schedule 2 (Appropriate Load Lines—Zones, Areas and Seasonal Periods).
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subregulation (3), regulation 17 and regulation 28 (Greater than minimum freeboards), load lines shall consist as shown in Figure 2 of horizontal lines each 230 millimetres in length and 25 millimetres in width extending forward or abaft of a vertical line 25 millimetres in width marked 540 millimetres forward of the centre of the ring of the load line mark and at right angles to that line, and individual load lines shall be as follows—
the Summer load line, which shall extend forward of the said vertical line and be marked S, and shall correspond horizontally with the line passing through the centre of the ring of the load line mark;
the Winter load line, which shall extend forward of the said vertical line and be marked W;
the Winter North Atlantic load line, which shall extend forward of the said vertical line and be marked WNA;
the Tropical load line, which shall extend forward of the said vertical line and be marked T;
the Fresh Water load line, which shall extend abaft the said vertical line and be marked F;
the Tropical Fresh Water load line, which shall extend abaft the said vertical line and be marked TF.
The maximum depth of loading referred to in subregulation (1) shall be the depth indicated by the upper edge of the appropriate load line.
(3) In the case of a sailing ship—
(a) the Summer load line shall consist of the line passing through the centre of the ring of the load line mark; and
(b) the Winter North Atlantic load line and Fresh Water load line only shall be marked on the ship as shown in Figure 4.

### Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Load Line) Regulations 《商船(安全)(載重線)規例》

17. Timber load lines
Timber load lines shall consist as shown in Figure 3 of horizontal lines of the dimensions specified in respect of each line in regulation 16, extending abaft or forward of a vertical line of the dimensions specified in respect of such a line in that regulation marked 540 millimetres abaft the centre of the ring of the load line mark and at right angles to that line; and individual Timber load lines shall be as follows—
the Summer Timber load line, which shall extend abaft the said vertical line and be marked LS;
the Winter Timber load line, which shall extend abaft the said vertical line and be marked LW; 
the Winter North Atlantic Timber load line, which shall extend abaft the said vertical line and be marked LWNA;
the Tropical Timber load line, which shall extend abaft the said vertical line and be marked LT;
the Fresh Water Timber load line, which shall extend forward of the said vertical line and be marked LF;
the Tropical Fresh Water Timber load line, which shall extend forward of the said vertical line and be marked LTF.
The maximum depth of loading referred to in regulation 16(1) shall be the depth indicated by the upper edge of the appropriate Timber load line.

18. Appropriate load lines
The appropriate load line in respect of a ship at any particular place and time shall be ascertained in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2.

19. Position of load lines
Each load line required to be marked on a ship shall be marked in such a position on each side of the ship that the distance measured vertically downwards from the upper edge of the deck-line to the upper edge of the load line is equal to the freeboard assigned to the ship which is appropriate to that load line.

20. Method of marking
(1) The appropriate marks shall be marked on each side of a ship in accordance with the requirements of this regulation in such a manner as to be plainly visible.
(2) If the sides of the ship are of metal, the appropriate marks shall be cut in, centre punched or welded; if the sides of the ship are of wood, the marks shall be cut into the planking to a depth of not less than 3 millimetres; if the sides are of other materials to which the foregoing methods of marking cannot effectively be applied, the marks shall be permanently affixed to the sides of the ship by bonding or some other effective method.
(3) The appropriate marks shall be painted in white or yellow if the background is dark, and in black if the background is light.

21. Authorisation of removal, etc., of appropriate marks
After the appropriate marks have been marked on a ship, such marks may not be concealed, removed, altered, defaced or obliterated except under the authority of an Assigning Authority.

### Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Load Line) Regulations 《商船(安全)(載重線)規例》

22. Mark of Assigning Authority
(1) The mark of the Assigning Authority as described in subregulation (2) may be marked on each side of the ship in a position alongside the load line mark either above the horizontal line forming part of that mark, or above and below it.
(2) An Assigning Authority’s mark for this purpose shall consist of not more than 4 initials to identify the Authority’s name, each measuring approximately 115 millimetres in height and 75 millimetres in width.

23. Requirements relevant to the assignment of freeboards
(1) The following requirements in respect of the hulls, superstructures, fittings and appliances of ships are requirements considered by the Director to be relevant to the assignment of freeboards to ships and are prescribed as such for the purposes of section 102(1)(f) of the Ordinance— (L.N. 47 of 2018)
(a) for a pre-2005 ship—the requirements specified in this regulation and in Schedule 4; or
(b) for a post-2005 ship—the requirements specified in Chapter II of Annex I. (L.N. 47 of 2018)
(2) (Repealed L.N. 47 of 2018)(3) A pre-2005 ship must comply with the following requirements of Schedule 4—
(a) the applicable requirements under Parts II, III and IV (specific requirements