🔍 Key Concepts

• International Load Line Convention requirements for different ship types • How risk to human life affects the strictness of construction and loading regulations • Differences between cargo ships and passenger ships in safety and subdivision standards (see SOLAS)

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: for which type of vessel does the law generally impose the highest safety margins because of the potential loss of life? • Consider which type of vessel must meet the most demanding standards for watertight subdivision and reserve buoyancy. • Think about which ships are allowed the least immersion (i.e., have to keep the deck the highest above water) to maintain safety in damage conditions.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which ship type has the most stringent subdivision and damage-stability rules under SOLAS and Load Line Conventions. • Check which vessel type typically has smaller freeboard allowances (stricter limits) due to the number of persons carried. • Confirm that some ship types (like tankers and gas carriers) have strict rules mainly for cargo hazards, while another type is driven primarily by protection of many people on board.