Guidelines for the assignment of reduced freeboards for dredgers, DR-68
Developed by DR-67 Joint Working Group
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON LOAD LINES, 1966
Exemptions for dredgers under article 6
Communication by the Government of the Netherlands
The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization has the honour to transmit herewith, in accordance with article 6(3) of the above Convention, a communication by the Government of the Netherlands, containing Guidelines for the assignment of reduced freeboards to dredgers, DR-68.
The annexed Guidelines supersede the Guidelines annexed to Circular letter No.2285 of 17 January 2001.
The Secretary-General would be grateful if steps could be undertaken to bring this information to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
The Secretary-General of IMO
4, Albert Embankment
London SE1 7SR
United Kingdom
DG Luchtv. en Maritieme Zalen
Directie Maritieme Zaken
Afdeling Zeevaart en Security
Our reference
IenM/BSK-2011/131728
Date: 27 September 2011
Subject: International Convention on Load Lines 1966
Dear Mr Secretary-General,
Please find enclosed guidelines for the assignment of reduced freeboards for dredgers, which are submitted in accordance with Article 6(3) of the International Convention on Load Lines 1966.
The enclosed guidelines reflect the results of the joint efforts of a working group with participation of Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kindom, the United States of America and the Netherlands as well as interested parties. The participants are reflected in the Preamble of the Guidelines.
These Guidelines supersede the existing guidelines which were circulated under Circular Letter No. 2285.
It is appreciated if this information could be circulated among members and organizations.
Yours sincerely,
Head of Unit Maritime Shipping and Security
Mr. A.W. de Jong
Preamble
Preamble
Dredgers are typically used for clearance or maintenance duties in ports, docks and navigation channels; for reclamation duties in the reclamation of land and beach replenishment; and for the recovery of materials for the building and civil engineering industries.
Early development of this trade did not usually cross national boundaries, and practices were therefore governed by diverse national standards. Since then, however, there have been au increasing number of international dredging projects, which require a dredger to have an international load line assignment in accordance with the International Convention on Load Lines (ICLL). However, a dredger may be designed to load cargo resulting in a deeper draft than that allowed by its ICLL freeboard assignment.
Therefore, the purpose of these Guidelines is to establish criteria by which a dredger - and similar vessels - may be issued an ICLL Exemption certificate that allows it to conduct operations at a reduced freeboard (i.e., that it may submerge its ICLL load line marks).
In order to qualify for the ICLL Exemption certificate, a dredger must meet the design and equipment requirements as specified in these Guidelines. These will ensure that the dredger has the ability to quickly dump its cargo (even in the event of loss of primary power), thereby immediately regaining the buoyancy and freeboard necessary for the dredger to comply with operation at the dredger's normal ICLL freeboard.
The Guidelines are the outcome of work by a "Joint Working Group on dredgers operating at Reduced Freeboard". This Group represented classification societies, the dredging industry, the shipbuilding industry and regulatory bodies from Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United States and the United Kingdom. The Guidelines have been developed to provide a harmonised standard for construction and operation of dredgers on the basis of overall safety equivalence to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, as modified by the Protocol of 1988 relating thereto, amended by Resolution MSC 143(77). While the Guidelines were developed for application to dredgers with a gross tonnage as measured under the 1969 ITC not less than 500, these Guidelines may be applied to dredgers with a gross tonnage less than 500 that are also subject to the requirements of the ICLL.
Legal relationship to the ICLL
These Guidelines are an ICLL Article 25 "special rule" drawn up by agreement between Contracting Governments to the ICLL. In addition to the original working group participants, other Administrations may join the agreement by notifying the custodial administrator of these Guidelines, and by notifying IMO in accordance with ICLL Article 6(3).
These Guidelines are intended for a dredger that has a valid ICLL certificate; this ensures the overall seaworthiness of the vessel at its normal freeboard assignment. A dredger that further meets the design and equipment requirements of these Guidelines is considered to have "novel features" as contemplated by ICLL Article 6(2) and, when operated in accordance with the specified weather or sea state limitations, can safely operate at a reduced freeboard. It may therefore be issued an ICLL Exemption certificate that exempts it from Article 12, which otherwise prohibits submersion of the ICLL load line marks. Dredgers without hatch covers, but which still meet the intact stability requirements of Section 6.1 herein, may also be exempted from Regulation 14, which otherwise requires weathertight hatch covers.
Administrative management
The custodial administrator of these Guidelines will maintain the official version, coordinate future revisions, if appropriate, and, in such case, will submit a revised version to the IMO as appropriate:
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
PO Box 16191
2500 BD The Hague, THE NETHERLANDS
The first version of these Guidelines, designated as "DR-67", was established in 2001.
The current version, designated "DR-68", supersedes DR-67 for vessels constructed on or after 1 January 2010. However, an ICLL Exemption certificate issued under DR-67 may be renewed provided that the dredger continues to comply with its original requirements.
Members of the Joint Working Group have agreed to meet on a regular basis to review the Guidelines and keep them up-dated against any new development within the areas covered by the Guidelines.
Members of the Joint Working Group are invited to communicate the Guidelines to any party engaged in or regulating dredging activity.