The Load Lines Convention and
Arctic Navigation
Aldo Chircop
Dalhousie University &
Chair, International Working Group on Polar
Shipping, Comité Maritime International (CMI)
Contact: [email protected]
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introducing IMO polar shipping regulation
Purpose of load lines
LLC Convention
Rationale for discussing polar load lines
Particular issues
Conclusion
Iridium mobile
satellite system
included in Global
Maritime Distress
and Safety System,
2013.
Guidelines on
Voyage Planning for
Passenger Ships in
Remote Areas,
2008.
STCW
Amendments
(training for
Arctic seafarers),
2010, 2016/2018.
Guide for Cold
Water Survival,
2006.
International Code for the
Construction and Equipment
of Ships Carrying Liquefied
Gases in Bulk (IGC
Code)(carriage of cargo at low
temperature), 2014.
Intact Stability
Code (icing
allowances in
loading), 2008.
New NAVAREAS
and METAREAS,
expansion of the
World-Wide
Navigational
Warning System
(WWNWS),
2010.
Mandatory Polar
Code (new Chapter
14 of SOLAS;
amendments to
MARPOL Annexes
1,2, 4, 5), 2014/2017.
SOLAS updates:
data in
meteorological
services and
warnings, Ice Patrol
Service, danger
messages for ice
conditions.
Mandatory ship
reporting system
for vessels of
5000+ tons for
the Barents Area,
2012.
2. Purpose of load lines
• Goal:
▫ Safeguarding of life and property
at sea.
• Means:
▫ Standards for safe loading: cargo,
ballast, fuel, etc.
▫ To ensure freeboard and stability.
▫ Marine and fresh waters load
lines.
▫ Designated marine zones and
seasons (including temperature
and salinity).
Source: Marine-Knowledge.Com
3. International Convention on Load
Lines (LLC), 1966 & Protocol, 1988
• Purpose:
▫ Uniform principles and rules for loading
▫ For ships on international voyages
• Scope:
▫ Load lines, structure, openings, guard rails and
means for safe passage for crew protection,
stowage, etc.
▫ International Load Line Certificate.
• Coordination:
▫ Functions in association with SOLAS regulations
and Intact Stability Code, 2008.
Annex II
Reg Zone
46
(1) North Atlantic Winter
Seasonal Zone I
46
(1) North Atlantic Winter
Seasonal Zone II
46
(2) North Atlantic Winter
Seasonal Area
46
(3) North Pacific Winter
Seasonal Zone
47
Southern Winter
Seasonal Zone
Seasons
WINTER: 16
October to 15
April
WINTER: 1
November to 31
March
WINTER: 16
December to 15
February
WINTER: 6
October to 15
April
WINTER: 16 April
to 15 October
SUMMER: 16 April
to 15 October
SUMMER: 1 April
to 31 October
SUMMER: 16
February to 15
December
SUMMER: 16 April
to 15 October
SUMMER: 16
October to 15 April
4. Rationale for polar load lines
• LLC dedicated load lines are required for other
trading regions.
• LLC provides load line requirements for:
▫ Waters adjacent to Greenland in the Arctic (North
Atlantic Winter Zone II.
▫ North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II for North
Atlantic waters and extending north.
▫ North Pacific Winter Seasonal Zone for the North
Pacific/Bering Sea and extending north.
• Polar Code and IACS’ Unified Requirements on
Polar Class do not address load lines.
Some recent polar science findings …
• Rabe et al. (2013):
▫ In the 1992-2012 period there has been an increase of 30%
of liquid freshwater reservoir in the Arctic, larger than the
average annual export of liquid and solid freshwater.
• De Steur et al. (2013):
▫ “Hydrographic data from the Arctic Ocean show that fresh
water content in the Lincoln Sea, north of Greenland,
increased significantly from 2007 to 2010, slightly lagging
changes in the eastern and central Arctic,” producing an
anomaly in terms of decrease in upper water salinity.
• Question:
▫ What is the significance of declining salinity for maritime
safety, if any?
5. Particular questions
• “Zones” and “Seasons”:
▫ Should the Arctic Ocean be
designated as one zone or a
series of zones?
▫ Should it have one or two
seasons and with what
operational dates?
▫ How should variable salinity be
accounted for in the rule of
submersion?
▫ How should load line
requirements be addressed in a
voyage which involves different
zones ?
Questions continued
• “International voyages”:
▫ An issue for the Southern Ocean?
▫ Are internal waters covered?
• “Submersion”:
▫ Distinction to be maintained between seawater and
fresh water: evolving scientific understanding
• “Freeboard”:
▫ Should national administrations require a greater
freeboard than the LLC minimum?
• “Special rules” (Art. 25):
▫ Possibility of a regional standard, to be communicated
through the IMO: advantages & disadvantages …
LLC issue
• LLC does not factor additional risks encountered
when navigating polar environments, such as the
extreme cold temperatures, navigating through
ice fields and including icebreaking for higher
polar class vessels.
▫ Effect: further stress on the hull, in addition to the
nature, stowage, and lashing of cargo and ballast
segregation. It would be appropriate to
contextualize loads with reference to the voyage
and type of the vessel.
Coordination with Polar Code?
• Should the load line
zones for the Arctic
and Southern Ocean
be aligned with the
geographical limits
of the Polar Code?
6. Conclusion
• Maritime regulatory history has been frequently
reactive rather than anticipatory.
• Polar shipping regulation is still at an incipient
stage: iterative and adaptive (learning by doing).
• IMO polar shipping regulation is raising
standards of “polarworthiness”: load lines ought
to be considered an integral part of
polarworthiness.