Condition of Assignment

Explain the term "Condition of Assignment"

If the conditions listed below for the reasons for freeboard requirements are to be achieved which are:-

1. To ensure that ship cannot be loaded beyond her strength.

2. To provide her with adequate reserve buoyancy

3. To keep the decks high enough from the water to enable the crew to navigate and handle her in all weathers.

it is important to that all openings in the freeboard deck should be properly protected and closed and that provision should be made to allow the ship to free quickly of water which may come in upon the decks. 

To ensure that this done, the ship is required to comply with certain "Conditions of Assignment".

These are conditions which must be met before freeboards are assigned to a ship and a LOAD LINE CERTIFICATE issued, which enables the load lines and mark to be graved in and painted on the side of the ship.

The conditions are concerned with water tight integrity of the hull and state requirements for the strength, height of coamings, closing arrangements of items such as super-structure and bulkheads, hatchways, machinery space openings, openings in freeboard & superstructure decks ventilators, air pipes, cargo ports, freeing ports, side scuttles, scuppers, inlet and discharges.

Also means provided for protection of crew.

Explain how these are maintained for a ship?

Vessels are surveyed annually to ensure that they fulfill the "CONDITIONS OF ASSIGNMENT"

Conditions of Assignment need periodic inspection to ensure that the ships condition is such that those conditions of assignment are still being fulfilled.

Hatch-Covers, Cargo-ports, Watertight doors, scuttles, and other closing down appliances would get corroded, reduced resilience or damage of seals, locking arrangements might get damaged.

Coamings of hatches, ventilators, air pipes get corroded at weather deck level thereby reduction in strength.

Freeing ports or scuppers blocked or valves not working.

Gangways, Rails, bulwarks gets damaged or not secure.

Hence continuous maintenance, inspection & surveys ensure that they fulfill "CONDITIONS OF ASSIGNMENT"