MARINE CONVENTION

Grey River Argus, 11 September 1930, Page 5

MARINE CONVENTION

The Load Line BOUNDARIES FIXED. (Aus. <Sr N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, September 9. The loadline conference decided that the northern boundary of the southern winter seasonal zone shall be from the East Coast of South Africa at latitude thirty, south along the rhumb line to the West Coast of Australia at thirty-five degrees south, thence along the South Coast of Australia to Cape Arid, thence to Cape Grim (Tasmania), thence along the north coast of Tasmania, Eddystone Point, thence to the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, at longitude 170 east, thence along the west south east coast of the South Island to Cape Saunders. The full text is now issued of the International Load Line Convention, which was signed unanimously on behalf of 29 countries, at the recent London Conference. The Convention if ratified will take effect from July 1, 1932. and will apply to all merchant ships of 150 tons and over, engaged on international voyages. It lays down definite rules for the loading of ships according to the part of the world in which they may be. United Kingdom delegates say, in their report, that thc conference contained technical and nautical representatives of all the principal maritime nations, whose considered opinion is that the new rules are a marked improvement on anything which has gone before. United Kingdom delegates are satisfied that the new rules will raise the standard of safety of merchant ships throughout the world and they draw attention to two outstanding points, namely the protection of deck openings, and the introduction for the first time on British ships of special load lines for timber ships and tankers. The extreme importance of protecting all decks openings in bad weather is recognised by all seamen and the rules on this subject are made more definite than ever before. Uniform loading rules for ships of all nations are established for the first time.