Define draft.

Define draft.

• A. The depth of water that the ship draws, especially when loaded
• B. The vertical distance between the forward and aft drafts
• C. The distance from the water surface to the deck
• D. The weight of the ship

Answer: (A)

Draft is the vertical distance from the waterline to the bottom of the hull, indicating how much of the ship is submerged and how much water it needs to float. It specifically tells you the depth of water the vessel draws, especially when loaded, because the weight and ballast determine how deeply the hull sits in the water. When a ship carries more load, its draft increases; when lighter, it decreases. The other ideas don’t describe draft itself: the vertical difference between the forward and aft drafts is trim (how the ship sits along its length), the distance from the water surface to the deck is freeboard (the height of the deck above water), and the weight of the ship is its displacement or overall mass, not how deep it sits in the water.

Draft is the vertical distance from the waterline to the bottom of the hull, indicating how much of the ship is submerged and how much water it needs to float. It specifically tells you the depth of water the vessel draws, especially when loaded, because the weight and ballast determine how deeply the hull sits in the water. When a ship carries more load, its draft increases; when lighter, it decreases.

The other ideas don’t describe draft itself: the vertical difference between the forward and aft drafts is trim (how the ship sits along its length), the distance from the water surface to the deck is freeboard (the height of the deck above water), and the weight of the ship is its displacement or overall mass, not how deep it sits in the water.