Draft (hull)

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/draft-hull

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary navigational constraint?Determines a vessel's ability to safely traverse waterways of varying depths
2. What is the load lines (plimsoll lines)?International markings indicating maximum safe draft under specific environmental conditions
3. What does the word "draft" mean for a ship?Draft is how deep a ship sits in the water. It tells us how much of the hull is below the waterline.
4. Why does a deeper draft make a ship more stable?A deeper draft lowers the ship’s center of gravity compared to its center of buoyancy. This gives the ship more stability in the water.

Wetted Surface Area: The total area of a ship's hull that is in contact with the water.
Freeboard: The distance from the waterline to the main deck of a vessel.
Trim: The difference between a ship's forward and aft drafts, indicating its fore-and-aft angle.
Ballast: Heavy material carried in a ship's hull to improve stability and control draft and trim.