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WORDS BY BRUNO CIANCI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUNO CIANCI
AND LR FOUNDATIONfeature
Lloyd’s Registerinformation for all those involved in the maritime sector. Te
Society published the frst Register of Ships in 1764 – a tool
designed to provide a clear idea of the condition of chartered,
owned and insured ships.
But because there were no clearly defned rules or
standards at the time, ship classifcations were riddled with
inconsistencies and this, understandably, led to friction
between ship owners and underwriters. In 1774 the frustrated
underwriters founded Lloyd’s of London and, in 1799,
published their own, alternative register.
Tis wasn’t a good move. Te rivalry drove everyone to
the brink of bankruptcy. Eventually commonsense prevailed
and in 1834 the two registers amalgamated to form Lloyd’s
Register. It began producing a volume (Lloyd’s Register of
British and Foreign Shipping) classifying all ships calling at
British ports.GROWTH AND STANDARDS
Te Register received a healthy boost in the 19th century with
the technical revolution in shipbuilding. Te frst steamships
appeared – and with them iron hulls – and shortly thereafter,
the frst propeller-driven ship was classifed.
In 1853 a Leith shipbuilder – Tomas Menzies –
suggested using a Maltese cross as a symbol of ‘excellence’
for easy classifcation: today it signifes that a ship and/or
its machinery has been built to Lloyd’s Register class. Ship
safety and seaworthiness also improved: the frst loading
recommendations were introduced by the Lloyd’s Register in
1835, more than 40 years before the famous Plimsoll Line was
created. Tese hull marks indicate that a ship has sufcient
freeboard and adequate reserve buoyancy (see sidebar).
In 1868 the frst overseas ofces were established in Holland
and Belgium, followed by the appointment of surveyors in theLEFT It all began over
a cup of cofee, when
men involved with the
maritime industry got
together to discuss
ships, cargoes and
insurance.