Plimsoll line or international load line in simple terms is a water line marked on the hull of ships to know how much load ( cargo) they can carry safely in waters maintaining the buoyancy in different water types and temperatures. It is to indicate the maximum carrying capacity of the ship so as the ship can safely immerse up to a certain depth in water.
How it got its unique name?
Samuel Plimsoll was a British parliamentarian who got concerned about the loss of ships and crew members due to vessel overloading leading to ships getting sunk in water and accidents due to getting hit by icebergs. Hence introduced a bill for the same which got passed in parliament and hence was adopted by other countries on consensus and international water norms.
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