Merchant Shipping Act

…the British Parliament, in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1875, provided for the marking of a load line on the hull of every cargo ship, indicating the maximum depth to which the ship could be safely loaded. Application of the law to foreign ships leaving British ports led to general…

…1966 emerged from the British Merchant Shipping Act of 1875, which provided what was known as the Plimsoll load line on the ship’s side, indicating the maximum depth to which a ship could legally be loaded. In order to protect the competitive position of British ships, the Merchant Shipping Act…