🔍 Key Concepts

• Freeboard as it relates to load line and safety regulations • Definition of deck line in load line conventions • Where measurements on a ship’s side are typically taken from (reference points)

💭 Think About

• Which part of the ship’s side is officially marked and used as the standard reference for vertical measurements related to loading? • Are bulwarks, sheer strakes, or gunwale bars structural/ protective features, or are they official reference marks used in regulations? • Think about which term appears in load line diagrams and Plimsoll mark illustrations as the baseline for freeboard measurements.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which option is defined in load line rules as a specific marked line on the ship’s side. • Check which items (bulwark, sheer strake, gunwale bar) are more about structure or protection, not regulatory measurement. • Confirm that freeboard is the distance from a fixed horizontal line on the ship’s side up to the assigned load line or deck edge.