Sailing Vessels (Assignment of Free Board) Rules, 1960

The Sailing Vessels (Assignment of Free Board) Rules, 1960

Published vide Notification Gazette of India, 1960, Part 2, Section 3(i), Page 2064.

1903

G.S.R. 1553 dated 17th December, 1960. - In exercise of the powers conferred by Cls. (a) and (b) of sub-section (2) of Section 420 and by Section 435 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely :-

1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These rules may be called the Sailing Vessels (Assignment of Free Board) Rules, 1960.

(2) They shall come into force on the 1st January, 1961.

2. Definitions.- In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires-

(a) "Assigning Authority" means a Registrar of Sailing Vessels, or a Corporation or Association, appointed by the Central Government to be an Assigning Authority for the purpose of these rules;

(b) "free board deck" means the uppermost complete deck having permanent means of closing all the openings on the weather part or the deck;

(c) "Schedule" means a Schedule to these rules;

[(d) "Surveying Authority" means a Registrar of Sailing Vessels holding a certificate of competency issued under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, or recognised as equivalent thereto, or a Surveyor or a Naval Architect appointed by the Central Government and includes any person appointed as such by a Corporation or Association referred to in Cl. (a);]

(e) "vessel" means a sailing vessel.

3. Vessels to be certified.- No vessel shall ply or proceed to sea unless it has been assigned the free board, and a free board certificate issued in respect thereof in accordance with these rules.
4. Applications for assignment of free board.- Every application for the assignment of free board and the issue of a free board certificate shall be made to the Assigning Authority and be accompanied by fees at the rate specified in Schedule I.
5. Survey.- On receipt of an application under rule 4, the Assigning Authority shall cause the vessel to be surveyed by the surveying Authority who, on completion of the survey, shall forward to the Assigning Authority a report on the result of the survey.
6. Particulars of markings to be furnished.- If, on a consideration of the report of the Surveying Authority under rule 5, the Assigning Authority is satisfied that a free board certificate may be granted, such Authority shall furnish to the owner the particulars of the position in which the deck line and the free board lines are to be marked.
7. Computation of free board.- The free boards for vessels shall be computed in accordance with the Table in Schedule II.
8. Markings.- (1) The owner of the vessel shall cause to be marked on each side of the vessel the particulars of the deck and the free board lines and also the disc as in the following figure :-

(2) The markings referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be cut into the planking to a depth of at least one-eighth of an inch and shall be painted white or yellow on a dark background.

9. Issue of Certificate.- (1) When the markings have been cut to the satisfaction of the Surveying Authority, the Assigning Authority shall issue a free board certificate in respect of the vessel.

(2) The Certificate shall be in the form set out in Schedule III.

10. Period of validity of Certificate.- A free board certificate issued under rule 9 shall be valid for a period of one year and may be renewed for a period not exceeding one year at a time upto a maximum of five years.
11. Renewal of Certificate.- (1) A free board certificate may be renewed on application made in this behalf and the provisions of rules 5 to 8 shall apply to applications for renewal.

(2) Every application for renewal shall be accompanied by fees at the rate

specified in Schedule I.

[(3) On being satisfied that the original certificate is lost, destroyed or badly mutilated, the Assigning Authority may issue a duplicate copy of the free board certificate on payment of fees at the rate specified in Schedule I]

12. Certificate to be exhibited on vessel.- The free board certificate shall be

exhibited in a conspicuous part of the vessel when it is in use.

13. Alterations to vessel.- Whenever alterations have taken place in the hull or super-structure of a vessel so as to affect the position of the free board lines, the owner shall apply for a fresh free board certificate.
14. Loading of vessel.- No vessel shall be so loaded that the marking of the free board line is submerged.

Schedule I

(See rule 4)

Fees for survey for assignment of free board for sailing vessels

	Fees
	Rs.
(a) For first survey for assignment of free board
(i) For vessels under 50 tons gross.	20
(ii) For vessels of 50 tons and over but under 100 tons gross	30
(iii) For vessels of 100 tons gross and over.	40
(b) For re-survey.	half the fees prescribed at (a) above
[(c) Issue of duplicate copy of free board certificate.]	Rs. 2.00.

Schedule II

(See rule 7)

1. Open type vessels.

Free board for open type vessels shall be computed in accordance with the following table:

Length	Free board in fair season	Length	Free board in fair season
Feet	Inches	Feet	Inches
25	15	105	43.25
30	17	110	44.5
35	19.5	115	45.75
40	22	120	47
45	24	125	48.25
50	26	130	49.25
55	28	135	50.25
60	29.75	140	51.25
65	31.5	145	52.25
70	33.25	150	53.25
75	35	155	54.25
80	36.5	160	55.25
85	38	165	56
90	29.5	170	56.75
95	40.75	175	57.5
100	42	180	58.25

1. Decked vessels with adequate means of closing appliances.

The minimum free board in fair season shall be computed by deducting from the tabular free board in section I an amount calculated '[at the rate of 1 inch] per foot of depth "D" of the vessel.

Note

(1) The free board referred to above shall be the free board in salt water; the free board in fresh water of unit density shall be less than the free board in salt water by 2 inches.

(2) Final free board shall be assigned with the addition of such amount of free board as the Assigning Authority may determine, having regard to the classification, construction, age and other conditions of the vessel.

(3) The free boards at intermediate lengths shall be obtained by interpolation.

(4) "Length" means the length of the vessel from the foreside of the stem to the afterside of the stem post measured in a straight line parallel to the water level at a height at 0.8 times the depth of the vessel from the top of the keel.

(5) Length in feet shall be multiplied by 0.305 to convert to metres and free board in inches to be multiplied by 25.4 to convert to millimetres.

(6) The depth (D) of the vessel means the vertical distance amidships measured from the top of the keel to the upperside of the free board deck at side.

(7) In wooden vessels having a greater rate of rise of floor than 11h inches per foot, the depth (D) shall be reduced by half the differences between the total rise of floor at the half-breadth of the vessel and the total rise at 1½ inches per foot. Two and a half inches per foot of half-breadth shall be the maximum rate of rise for which a deduction may be made.

(8) Where the form at the lower part of the midship section is of a hollow character or thick garboards are fitted, the depth shall be measured from the point where the line of the flat of the bottom continued inwards cuts the side of the keel.

(9) Where D exceeds L/8, the free board shall be increased by two inches per foot difference between D and L/8.

[(9a) Where D (depth) is less than L (length)/8, the free board shall be decreased by 2 inches per foot difference between D and L/8.]

(10) Where the actual depth to the surface of the free board deck amidships is greater or less than D the difference between these two depths shall be added to or deducted from the free board, as the case may be. The deduction, however, shall only be permissible where the strength of the vessel in deemed sufficient for the purpose intended.

[(11) When there is an effective superstructure of not less than 40 percent. of L (length) and of a minimum height (H) of 4'-0". the tabular free board shall be reduced as follows :]

Length of superstructure	40% to 70% of L	Over 70% of L
Deduction	1½" per foot of H	2½" per foot of H
Where H= the mean height of the effective superstructure.

Schedule III

[See rule 9(2)]

Free Board Certificate Sailing Vessels

Issued by the Government of India
Form No.
Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958)
Name of Vessel ................................
Port of Registry ................................	Official Number .................................
Gross Tonnage ...............................
Free board from deck line	Lard-line
Fair Season ............... inches or millimetres	Upper edge of line through centre of disc.
Foul Season ..............inches or millimetres	Upper edge of line through centre of disc.

Allowance for fresh water for all free boards .............. inches/mm.

This is to certify that this vessel has been surveyed and the free board and load line shown above has been assigned as per Sailing Vessels (Assignment of Free Board) Rules, 1960.

This certificate remains in force until

Issued at on the day of 196

Signature of the Assigning Authority.

I have surveyed this vessel for the purpose of seeing whether this certificate should remain in force and survey has been completed to my satisfaction.

Signature of Surveying Authority : Place : Date

I have surveyed this vessel for the purpose of seeing whether this certificate should remain in force and survey has been completed to my satisfaction.

Signature of Surveying Authority : Place : Date

I have surveyed this vessel for the purpose of seeing whether this certificate

should remain in force and survey has been completed to my satisfaction.

Signature of Surveying Authority : Place : Date

I have surveyed this vessel for the purpose of seeing whether this certificate should remain in force and survey has been completed to my satisfaction.

Signature of Surveying Authority : Place : Date

Note. - This certificate must be kept framed and posted up in a conspicuous part of the vessel so long as it remains in force, and the vessel is in use.