🔍 Key Concepts

• International Load Line Convention (ICLL) zones and seasonal areas – especially the special Winter North Atlantic area • How the Winter North Atlantic (WNA) load line compares vertically to the summer and winter load lines on the Plimsoll mark • The effect of harsher sea conditions on required freeboard (more freeboard vs. less freeboard)

💭 Think About

• On the illustration, would the Winter North Atlantic line be placed higher or lower than the ordinary winter load line, and what does that tell you about allowable draft? • Does the Winter North Atlantic designation broaden a vessel’s trading limits or impose a stricter condition for a particularly severe region? • Which choices describe more restrictive loading conditions, and which describe less restrictive ones—what would you logically expect for the North Atlantic in winter?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify on a standard load line diagram which line is most restrictive (greatest freeboard / lowest draft). Compare that to where line B is typically located. • Check which answer choices suggest reduced freeboard versus increased freeboard and ask which makes sense for the Winter North Atlantic. • Verify in your reference that the Winter North Atlantic area is a specific harsh-weather zone, not just a small restricted coastal trade between a few countries or only for very small or very large vessels.