What is the draft?

What is the draft?

• A. Height of hull above water
• B. The width of the hull
• C. The depth of water from waterline to keel
• D. The distance from bow to stern

Answer: (C)

Draft is the vertical distance from the waterline to the hull’s lowest point, the keel. This is the depth of water a vessel needs to float without the bottom touching or running aground. It changes with load: more weight increases draft, while lighter loads decrease it. The water depth must exceed this measure for safe operation. The other terms describe different dimensions: freeboard is how high the hull rises above the water, beam is the hull’s width, and length is the distance from bow to stern.

Draft is the vertical distance from the waterline to the hull’s lowest point, the keel. This is the depth of water a vessel needs to float without the bottom touching or running aground. It changes with load: more weight increases draft, while lighter loads decrease it. The water depth must exceed this measure for safe operation. The other terms describe different dimensions: freeboard is how high the hull rises above the water, beam is the hull’s width, and length is the distance from bow to stern.