136 RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FREEBOARD. 
APPENDIX II. 
EXTRACTS FROM BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT 1894 RELATING TO LoapD LINEs. 
SECTION 436. (1) The Board of Trade may, in any case or class of cases in which 
they think it expedient to do so, direct any person appointed by them for the 
purpose, to record, in such manner and with such particulars as they direct, the 
draught of water of any seagoing ship, as shown on the scale of feet on her stem 
and stern post, and the extent of her clear side in feet and inches, upon her leaving 
any dock, wharf, port, or harbor for the purpose of proceeding to sea, and the person 
so appointed shall thereupon keep that record and shall forward a copy thereof 
to the Board of Trade. 
2. That record or copy, if produced out of the custody of the Board of Trade, 
shall be admissible in evidence in manner provided by this act. 
3. The master of every British seagoing ship shall, upon her leaving any dock, 
wharf, port, or harbor for the purpose of proceeding to sea, record her draught of 
water and the extent of her clear side in the official log book (if any), and shall produce 
the record of any chief officer of customs whenever required by him, and if he fails 
without reasonable cause to produce the record shall for each offense be liable to 
a fine not exceeding twenty pounds. 
4. The master of a seagoing ship shall, upon the request of any person appointed 
to record the ship’s draught of water, permit that person to enter the ship and to 
make such inspections and take such measurements as may be requisite for the 
purpose of the record; and if any master fails to do so, or impedes, or suffers anyone 
under his control to impede, any person so appointed in the execution of his duty, 
he shall for each offense be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds. 
5. In this section the expression “clear side’’ means the height from the water 
to the upper side of the plank of the deck from which the depth of hold as stated in 
the register is measured, and the measurement of the clear side is to be taken at 
the lowest part of the side. 
SEC. 437. (1) Every British ship (except ships under 80 tons register em- 
ployed solely in the coasting trade, ships employed solely in fishing, and pleasure 
yachts, and ships employed exclusively in trading or going from place to place in 
any river or inland water the whole or part of which is in any British possession) 
shall be permanently and conspicuously marked with lines (in this act called deck 
lines) of not less than 12 inches in length and 1 inch in breadth, painted longitudi- 
nally on each side amidships, or as near thereto as is practicable, and indicating 
the position of each deck which is above water. 
2. The upper edge of each of the deck lines must be level with the upper side 
of the deck plank next the waterway at the place of marking. 
3. The deck lines must be white or yellow on a dark ground, or black on a 
light ground. 
