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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Ship Types & Ship Structure

Freeboard

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/ˈfriːbɔːrd/nounCommon term

In maritime & shipping, freeboard means: The vertical distance from the waterline up to the main deck at the ship's side. Load line rules set a minimum freeboard to keep the ship safe.

In Turkish: fribord, borda yüksekliği

How it is used

Linked to the load line, or Plimsoll mark, painted on the hull. Overloading reduces the freeboard, and port state control officers check that the load line mark is not under water.

Example sentences

  1. With full cargo our freeboard is only 2.3 metres.

  2. The pilot station asked for our freeboard to plan the pilot boarding.

Common collocations

  • minimum freeboard
  • summer freeboard
  • load line
  • Plimsoll mark
  • draughtThe vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest point of a ship's keel. It shows how deep the ship sits in the water and changes with cargo and ballast.
  • hullThe main watertight body of a ship, including its bottom and sides but not the masts, superstructure or equipment on deck.
  • deadweightThe total weight a ship can safely carry, including cargo, fuel, fresh water, stores and crew, measured in tonnes. It is usually written DWT.
  • port state controlThe inspection of foreign ships in a country's ports to check that they meet international rules on safety, pollution prevention, crew certificates and working conditions.

More terms: Ship Types & Ship Structure

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