Freeboard
A. Definitions
Freeboard is the distance measured from the waterline to the upper edge of the
deck plating at side of the freeboard deck amidships. Ships must have a load line mark
located amidships on both sides to indicate the maximum allowable draught under
specified conditions (geographical and seasonal). Freeboard deck – Normally, the
uppermost complete deck exposed to weather and sea, which has permanent means of
closing all openings in the weather part thereof, and below which all openings in the
sides of the ship are fitted with permanent means of watertight closing, (LL).
The size and shape of freeboard marks as well as calculations is based on rules
agreed in The International Convention on Load Lines 1966 (ICLL 1966). With its
Protocol of 1988 is a comprehensive set of regulations to determine the minimum
allowable freeboard and defines the conditions of load line assignment. The minimum
geometric summer freeboard is computed by taking a freeboard for a standard ship of
the same length (provided in tabular form) and correcting it for those geometric
properties of the ship which differ from those of the standard one. There are corrections
for block coefficient, depth, superstructure, trunks and sheer. The result of this
calculation – the load line mark – is permanently marked on the ship hull. This
Convention applies to all commercial vessels that sail in international waters, either its
sea or ocean, except for the vessels mentioned below:
Warships
Ships that are less than 24m (L < 24m)
Ships that are less than 150 gross Ton
Cruise Ship
Fishing vessels
Coastal boats
Ships that sail on lakes or rivers
The calculation of the minimum freeboard must be approved by a classification
society which defines the eventual location of the load line marks based on the
measurement of built vessel. Marks cannot be welded to the sides of the hull during
construction, even if certain shipyards would be eager to do that.
The assignment of the computed freeboard is conditional upon the prescribed
means of protection and closure of openings such as hatchways, doorways, ventilation,
air pipes, scuppers and discharges being complied with. Regulations are also included
for freeing ports in bulwark to prevent water accumulating on deck, as well as guard
rails and walkways to provide safe passage.
Generally, it can be concluded that the result of the convention determine:
1) The shape, size, and placement freeboard marks in the ship’s hull.
2) The minimum freeboard for a ship based to the type of ship
concerned according to the classifications of ships specified in the
convention.
3) The calculations of corrections to get a freeboard on the summer load
line.
B. Types of Ships
For the purposes of freeboard computation ships shall be divided into Type ’A’
and Type ’B’.
1. Type ‘A’ Ships
Type ’A’ ship is one which is designed to carry only liquid cargoes in
bulk, and in which cargo tanks have only small access openings closed by
watertight gasketed covers of steel or equivalent material. Such a ship
necessarily has the following inherent features:
a) high integrity of the exposed deck; and
b) high degree of safety against flooding, resulting from the low
permeability of loaded cargo spaces and the degree of subdivision
usually provided.
Type ’A’ ship shall be assigned a freeboard not less than that based on
Table A.
Type ’A’ ship, if over 150 meter (492 feet) in length, and designed to
have empty compartments when loaded to its summer load waterline, shall be
able to withstand the flooding of any one of these empty compartments at an
assumed permeability of 0.95, and remain afloat in a condition of equilibrium
considered to be satisfactory by the Administration. In such a ship, if over 225
meters (738 feet) in length, the machinery space shall be treated as a floodable
compartment but with a permeability of 0.85. For the guidance of
Administrations, the following limits may be regarded as satisfactory:
a) the final waterline after flooding is below the lower edge of any opening
through which progressive flooding may take place.
b) the maximum angle of heel due to unsymmetrical flooding is of the order
of 15 degrees.
c) the metacentric height in the flooded condition is positive.
2. Type ‘B’ Ships
Type ’B’ ship shall be assigned a freeboard not less than that based on
Table B. Ships of type “B”, with L > 100 m, may be assigned lower freeboards
values if they satisfy the following conditions:
A ship that when loaded to the Summer load line will float in a
satisfactory condition, after flooding any compartment other than
the engine room.
If L > 200 m, the engine room must also be considered a floodable
compartment.
A ship that satisfy these conditions may have its tabular freeboard
reduced by 60% of the difference between the values indicated for
the type ”A” and for the type “B”.
The reduction can be increased up to 100% satisfying the additional
requirements:
To support the simultaneous flooding of 2 adjacent compartments,
by damage of the transverse bulkhead (not considering the engine
room floodable).
C. Freeboard Tables
1. Type A Ships
The tabular freeboard for Type ’A’ ships shall be determined from the
following table:
Table A Freeboard Table, for Type 'A' Ships (in Metric unit)
Length of Freeboard Length of Freeboard Length of Freeboard
ship (millimeters) ship (millimeters) ship (millimeters)
(meters) (meters) (meters)
24 200 138 1770 252 3024
25 208 139 1787 253 3030
26 217 140 1803 254 3036
27 225 141 1820 255 3042
28 233 142 1837 256 3048
29 242 143 1853 257 3054
30 250 144 1870 258 3060
31 258 145 1886 259 3066
32 267 146 1903 260 3072
33 275 147 1919 261 3078
34 283 148 1935 262 3084
35 292 149 1952 263 3089
36 300 150 1968 264 3095
37 308 151 1984 265 3101
38 316 152 2000 266 3106
39 325 153 2016 267 3112
40 334 154 2032 268 3117
41 344 155 2048 269 3123
42 354 156 2064 270 3128
43 364 157 2080 271 3133
44 374 158 2096 272 3138
45 385 159 2111 273 3143
46 396 160 2126 274 3148
Freeboards at intermediate lengths of ship shall be obtained by linear interpolation.
2. Type B Ships
The tabular freeboard for Type ’B’ ships shall be determined from the
following table:
Table B Freeboard Table, for Type 'B' Ships (in Metric unit)
Length of Freeboard Length of Freeboard Length of Freeboard
ship (millimeters) ship (millimeters) ship (millimeters)
(meters) (meters) (meters)
24 200 138 1770 252 3024
25 208 139 1787 253 3030
26 217 140 1803 254 3036
27 225 141 1820 255 3042
28 233 142 1837 256 3048
29 242 143 1853 257 3054
30 250 144 1870 258 3060
31 258 145 1886 259 3066
32 267 146 1903 260 3072
33 275 147 1919 261 3078
34 283 148 1935 262 3084
35 292 149 1952 263 3089
36 300 150 1968 264 3095
37 308 151 1984 265 3101
38 316 152 2000 266 3106
39 325 153 2016 267 3112
40 334 154 2032 268 3117
41 344 155 2048 269 3123
42 354 156 2064 270 3128
43 364 157 2080 271 3133
44 374 158 2096 272 3138
45 385 159 2111 273 3143
46 396 160 2126 274 3148
Freeboards at intermediate lengths of ship shall be obtained by linear interpolation.
Ships above 365 meters in length shall be dealt with by the Administration.
D. How to Calculate Freeboard
One example is taken for calculation purpose. In this a 70,000 tons deadweight
oil tanker is taken. Our aim is to find the maximum summer draught allowed, and to
check the bow height. Once the summer draught is decided.
Principal Particulars
LBP = 264.00 m
BREADTH (MLD) = 48.00 m
DEPTH (MLD) = 23.10 m
1. Type of Ship:
Freeboard: ‘A’ type of ship
Freeboard deck (ICLL Regulation 3): Upper deck
2. Dimensions
Freeboard length (Lf) = 265.152 m (ICLL Regulation 3)
LWL (Length on waterline) at 85 %
depth (mld) = 270.468 m
LWL x 0.96 = 259.649 m
Length from the fore side of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on a waterline at
85 % depth (mld) = 265.152 m
Amidship = Freeboard length / 2 = 132.576 m
Freeboard depth (Df) = 23.119 m (ICLL Regulation 3)
Design depth (mld) = 23.100 m Thickness of freeboard deck (stringer plate) = 0.019
m
Depth at 85 % depth (mld) = 19.635 m
Thickness of keel plate = 0.021 m
Volume (mld) at 85 % depth (mld) = 207,733 cu.m
Block coefficient (Cb) at 85 % depth (mld) = 0.8313 (Regulation 3)
Cb = Δf0 / (Lf x B x 0.85D) = 207,733 / (265.152 x 48 x 19.635) = 0.8313
3. Freeboard calculation
For Lf = 265,152 mm and Df = 23,119 mm and Type 'A' freeboard, refer
the freeboard table A.
Ft = 3,101 mm at Lf = 265,000 mm Ft = 3,102 mm at Lf = 265,152 mm Ft = 3,106
mm at Lf = 266,000 mm. Tabular freeboard (Ft) = 3,102 mm
Correction for Cb (ICLL Regulation 30) = 3,447 mm Correction = Ft x (Cb +
0.68)/1.36
= 3102 x (0.8313 + 0.68)/1.36
= 3,447 mm
Correction for depth (ICLL Regulation 31) = 1,361 mm (Df - Lf/15) x R = (23.119
-265.152/15) x 250 = 1,361 mm
Correction for Sheer (ICLL Regulation 38) = 846 mm Aft half (standard), As =
25(Lf/3 + 10) x 1 + 11.1(Lf/3 + 10) x 3 + 2.8(Lf/3 + 10) x 3
= 2460 x 1 + 1092 x 3 + 275 x 3
= 6561
Aft half (Actual), Aa = at A.P x 1 + at Lf/6 x 3 + at Lf/3 x 3 + at miship x 1
= 683x 1 + 30 x 3 + 0 x 3 + 0 x 1
= 773
Fore half (standard), Fs = 5.6(Lf/3 + 10) x 3 + 22.2(Lf/3 + 10) x 3 + 50(Lf/3 + 10) x
1
= 551 x 3 + 2184 x 3 + 4919 x 1
= 13124
Fore half (Actual), Fa = at midship x 1 + x 1 + at Lf/3 x 3 + at Lf/6 x 3 + at F.P x 1
=0 x 1 + 0 x 3 + 7 x 3 + 854 x 1
= 875
Deficiency of sheer After sheer = (As - Aa)/8 =(6561 - 773)/8 = 724 mm Forward
sheer = (Fs - Fa)/8 = (13124 - 875)/8 = 1531 mm Total deficiency of sheer = (724 +
1532)/2 = 1128 mm Correction for variations from standard sheer profile =
(deficiency of sheer -sheer credit) x (0.75 - S/2Lf) = (1128 - 0) x (0.75 - 0/(2 x
265.152)) = 846 mm
4. Summary
(i) Tabular freeboard with correction for Cb = 3447 mm (ii) Correction for depth =
1361 mm (iii) Correction for superstructure and trunk = 0 mm (iv) Correction for
sheer = 846 mm
(1) Summer freeboard = (i) + (ii) + (iii) + (iv) = 5654 mm (2) Deck plate = 19 mm
(3) Moulded depth = 23100 mm (4) Keel plate = 21 mm (5) Summer draft (mld) =
(3) + (2) - (1) = 17465 mm. This is the maximum possible. In this case a lower
scantling draft is chosen to reduce the weight of the steel.
(6) Scantling draft (mld) = 17050 mm (7) Scantling draft (ext) = (6) + (4) = 17071
mm (8) Proposed summer draft(mld) = 17050 mm (9) Summer freeboard = (3) - (8)
+ (2) = 6069 mm
5. Minimum Bow height
From ICLL Regulation 39, required bow height = 7000 x {1.36/(Cb + 0.68)} for Lf
>= 250 m = 7000 x {1.36/(0.8313 + 0.68)} = 6299 mm
Length of sheer / Lf = 0.186 (>0.15)
The actual bow height on the ship = (Moulded depth at amidship) + (Forecastle
height at FP) + Sheer at FP) + (Thickness of deck plate at FP) - (Summer draft) =
23100 + 0 + 854 + 15 - 17050 = 6919 mm
Actual bow height > Required minimum bow height
6. Freeboard mark
Once the summer draft is decided, the other (winter, fresh water, tropical fresh
water) drafts can be calculated using ICLL Regulation 40 as:
Tropical Freeboard = Summer freeboard - (Summer draft (mld) / 48 ) = 6069 -
17050/48 = 6069 - 355 = 5714 mm
Winter Freeboard = Summer freeboard + (Summer draft (mld) / 48 ) = 6069 +
17050/48 = 6069 + 355 = 6424 mm
Fresh water Freeboard = Summer freeboard - Δf0 / (40 x TPC) = 606.9 - 18265.5 /
(40 x 118.29)= 606.9 - 38.6 = 568.3 cm = 5683 mm
Tropical Fresh water Freeboard = Fresh water freeboard - (Summer draft (mld) /
48 ) = 5683 - 17050/48 = 5683 - 355 = 5328 mm
Now from the above data, and using the Classification symbol (AB for American
Bureau of Shipping here), the load line mark (plimsoll mark) is drawn. For other
Classification societies it is NV for Det Norske Veritas, LR for Lloyds Register of
Shipping, NK for Class NK.
