Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 – 3 June 1898) was a British MP best remembered for his campaign against the execrable practice by some shipping magnates of buying unseaworthy vessels, literally from the salvage yard, outfitting them with a crew, and then deliberately overloading them, but not before insuring them heavily against loss. Plimsoll insisted that markings be made on the hull of all vessels to indicate the maximum safe load.
According to NOAA, Plimsoll lines are still used today.
This photograph was contributed by Markus Brinkmann.
CC BY-SA 2.0
