CONTENTS

1_Introduction
1.1_How is the weight of a ships cargo determined.
1.2_What is draught surveying ?

2_Laws of FLOATATION
2.1_Archimedes Principle.
2.2_Density.
2.3_Reading the Hydrometer.
2.4_Sampling the surrounding water.

3_DRAUGHTS
3.1_ Draught Marks.
3.2_ Reading the draught marks.
3.3_ Ships without midships marks.
3.4_ Plimsoll Line.
3.5_ Readings with Waves and swell.
3.6_ Draught Reading Equipment
3.7_ Manometer.
1_Introduction
Learning Outcome
At the end of this module students should be able to perform and calculate a draught survey.
However there is no substitute for experience in some of the operations needed to obtain the
draughts and data required for the calculation. It is strongly recommended that students spend as
much time as possible with an experienced surveyor in order to become familiar with the practical
aspects of reading draughts, sounding tanks, understanding the large variety of hydrostatic
particulars and many other aspects of the procedure.

NOTE – This module has been written for students who have not had seagoing experience and
are not familiar with ships and thus ex seafarers may find some of the content a bit obvious.
However it is hoped that they will still gain from carrying out the study.

1.1_How is the weight of a ships cargo determined

Many years ago, if it was necessary, the cargo on a ship was weighed using a balance of some
description. This is a basic device that is used to find the weight of something by “balancing” it with a
known weight at the opposite end of a balance beam that is resting on a knife-edge support.
However, often cargo was just loaded and declared as a package or carton containing “x” number of
items and the weight was not absolutely necessary.

Times have changed and nowadays cargo is mainly shipped in bulk, although there are exceptions, the
main one of which are containers and these are weighed on a weighbridge.
The modern system of weighing is based on the load cell, a device that converts force or strain on it into
an electrical signal. This signal will vary in direct relation to the strain (or weight) that it is subjected to.
The variation in the signal is translated into a weight readout.
However, bulk cargos need a different approach. This is not to say that bulk cargoes cannot be
weighed on a weighbridge but it would be a slow process to weigh and load a shipment of 40,000
tonnes of a commodity in 25 or 50 tonne lots.
All parties involved in the venture want the vessel loaded as quickly as possible and alternative
methods of weighing the cargo are required. The most common ones in use today are belt weighers
and draught surveys.

The load cell is utilised in dynamic weighing systems commonly known as belt weighers or scales.
These are in line devices that are inserted into, or mounted on, the transfer belts often used to move
bulk cargos from stockpiles to the vessels holds via a bulk loader. The in line belt weigher assesses
the weight of cargo by continuously monitoring the weight passing on the belt and producing an
average weight per time interval which is translated into the weight of cargo loaded.
However there is also a large demand for the weight of cargo to be determined by calculating the
weight of the ship before and after loading by means of a draught survey. In some ports this may be
the only way.
1.2_What is draught surveying?
Draught surveying is a commercially acceptable form of weighing. It is based on
Archimedes principle, which states that anything that floats will displace an amount of the
liquid it is floating in equal to its own weight.
Briefly the weight of the ship is determined both before and after loading and allowances made for
differences in ballast water and other changeable items. The difference between these two net weights
is the weight of the cargo.
In order to do this the depth that the ship is floating at is assessed from the “draught marks” and then
the vessels stability book is consulted to obtain the hydrostatic particulars such as the “displacement”
and other necessary data.
Several corrections are required and the quantities of ballast and other consumable stores need to be
assessed so as to obtain the net weights as in the following diagram.
2_LAWS OF FLOATATION
Learning Outcome
At the end of this chapter you will understand what Archimedes Principle is and how it affects the
calculation of the weight of a ship. You should also understand what density is and how it is used to
determine the weight of a floating body.

1.1_Archimedes Principle
Archimedes Principle states that when a body is wholly or partially immersed in a fluid it appears to
suffer a loss in mass equal to the mass of fluid it displaces.

Mass is the amount of matter that a body contains and is expressed in kilograms and tonnes.
The weight of a body is its mass multiplied by the force due to gravity (9.81m/s2). However for
the purposes of draught surveying the two can be considered to be the same, as the effects of
variations in the force of gravity can be ignored and weight can therefore be assumed to be the
same as mass.

The mass (weight) of a cubic meter of fresh water is 1000kgs.

If a solid block of volume 1m3 and mass 4,000kgs is immersed in fresh water it will appear to suffer a
loss in mass of 1000kgs. This can be verified by suspending it from a spring balance, which would
indicate a mass of 3000kgs. As the mass of the block has not changed there must be a supporting
force acting upwards that, in this case, is 1000kgs. This is known as the buoyancy force. The volume
of water displaced by the block is obviously 1m3, as this is the volume of the block and, as stated
above, 1m3 of fresh water has a mass of 1000kgs, which is the buoyancy force. We can see then, that
the buoyancy force is equal to the mass of water displaced.
If we now take the same solid block and hollow it out until its mass is reduced to 500kgs and then
immerse it in the same fresh water it will now float. This is because it still has the same volume of 1m3
but its mass is now only 500kgs.

If the block is completely immersed, the buoyancy force will still be 1000kgs as before, because the
volume of water displaced is still the same at 1m3. However the mass acting downwards is now only
500kgs and, once released, the block will rise until the buoyancy force acting upwards is equal to the
mass acting downwards. This will be when the block is in equilibrium at a point when the underwater
volume is equal to 0.5m3, which is half the depth of the block and the point at which the mass of water
displaced is equal to 500kgs. A spring balance will now indicate zero mass or weight indicating that the
block is floating.

From the above we can see that the weight of a ship can be calculated from the underwater volume, if it
is known, and the density of the liquid in which it is floating.
Why volume? Well in the above explanation of Archimedes Principle the block was immersed in fresh
water.
However, had it been salt water the volume of the part of the block that was underwater would have
been less as the density of salt water is greater than that of fresh water, meaning for equal volumes the
salt water is heavier, and thus a lesser volume of it would need to have been displaced for the block to
float. In order calculate this volume we need to know how deep the ship is floating in the water as the
deeper the “draught”, as it is called, the greater the weight of the ship. We also need to know the
density of the water that the ship is floating in and this needs to be measured at the same time as the
draughts are read.
2.2_Density
Density is Mass per unit volume at a certain temperature. As already stated mass can be considered
the same as weight as far as draught surveying is concerned.
Therefore the weight of the block above is its underwater volume multiplied by the density of the liquid
that it is floating in. Conversely as the weight of the block is 500kgs (0.5 tonnes) and its underwater
volume 0.5m3 then the density of the water it is floating in is 1.000 t/m3 (Weight / volume) The density
of a substance can be determined by weighing a unit volume, which in the case of the metric system
is a cubic metre.
Weight in Air
If a quantity of liquid - for example, fresh water or sea water - is weighed on a balance or on a
weighbridge against the equivalent of brass weights, then the atmosphere will exercise an upward
thrust upon the water much greater than the upward thrust exercised on the smaller volume of brass
weights. This „air buoyancy correction‟ amounts to 0.0011 grams per ml of product. This correction
represents the difference between the air buoyancy effect on the liquid and that on the brass weights.
The air buoyancy effect is in fact the same as the buoyancy force for a body immersed in a liquid as
Archimedes explained, only this time the fluid is air, which has a density of 0.00122t/m3.
It is commercial practice to make no allowance for air buoyancy so that commercial weights are
normally weights in air. Weight in air per unit volume is known as apparent density.

Weight in vacuum
If a quantity of liquid - for example, fresh water or seawater - is weighed on a laboratory balance or
weighbridge and a correction made for the effect of air buoyancy, then for most practical purposes the
resulting „weight in vacuo‟ is equivalent to mass. Mass per unit volume is known as density, or „true
density‟, and is usually expressed in g/ml or kg/ml3.

Measuring the density

Density is measured using an instrument called a hydrometer. This should be one designed for draught
survey purposes and as such will be calibrated to read density in air (apparent density) because the
ship is in air and cannot be placed in a vacuum.
In draught survey work the hydrometer may be regarded as the apparatus used to weigh cargoes of
up to 200,000 tonnes or even more. In these circumstances it should be obvious that great care
should be exercised in choosing the right type of instrument and in checking its accuracy. The time
has long passed when a brass load line hydrometer, possibly corroded and maybe deformed, is
acceptable for draught survey purposes.

Hydrometers for draught survey purposes should be made of glass as they can be certified by an
official standardising body. Metal hydrometers cannot usually be certified because they may corrode or
deform after they have left the manufacturers‟ premises.
The reading of a hydrometer is affected by the surface tension of the liquid in which it is used. High
surface tension liquids will tend to pull the instrument more deeply into the liquid than will liquids of low
surface tension. In practical terms if a hydrometer calibrated for use in petroleum is used in seawater,
then the hydrometer reading will be too low by an amount depending on the size and shape of the
instrument.
Hydrometers used for draught survey purposes should have some form of certificate. The hydrometer
scale should be numbered so that the number may be quoted in the certificate. Certificates are of two
kinds:-
1 A certificate of conformity, which is issued by the manufacturer and which certifies that the
instrument is accurate to within a specified maximum limit. Usually +/- 0.0005 kg/m3
2 A correction certificate issued either by the manufacturer or by some official body such as the
British Standards Institution, giving corrections to be applied to the scale readings at, for example,
four or five different points of the scale.

The Zeal Draught Survey Hydrometer has become internationally recognised and surveyors are
strongly recommended to use one for their work. This instrument is graduated to read apparent density
and the scale is of sufficient length to be marked every 0.0005kgs/m3 from 0.990 to 1.040.
An instrument with official correction certificates should be available in the office so that replacement
hydrometers can be checked for any errors or in the case of a dispute.
Although the use of a hydrometer such as the Zeal draught survey hydrometer will avoid many errors
and misunderstandings, which occurred in the past, this does not mean that other types of hydrometer
cannot be used, but they must be acceptably accurate and the necessary corrections applied.
Such hydrometers should be made of glass, should be adjusted for the correct surface tension, should
cover the range of about 0.990 to 1.040 and should preferably have a scale length of minimum 125-
mm.

2.3_Reading the Hydrometer

The instructions issued with a Zeal Draught Survey Hydrometer are included here and should be self
explanatory. Please note the instruction regarding the actual water level and not the top of the
meniscus.
Also note that temperature corrections should not be made.

Why not make corrections for temperature?

A draught survey hydrometer is made of glass and will be designed to be most accurate at a particular
temperature. If it is used in water of a higher temperature it will expand slightly and float higher in the
water indicating a greater density.
At the same time the ship will also expand and its underwater volume will therefore increase. As its
weight has not changed it will float slightly higher in the water also to compensate. The cubical
expansion of glass is 0.0000250C and that of steel is 0.0000330C. These two expansion rates are very
close together and the effect of the expansion of both the ship and the hydrometer is to cancel each
other out.

Example
A ship of 60,000m3 displacement (volume) is floating in water, which is at a temperature of
15oC. A hydrometer designed for 150C is reading 1.015 kg/l
Then the weight of the ship is 60,000 x 1.0150 = 60,900 metric tonnes.
Now the same ship at the same volume of displacement is moved to water at
30oC The total weight of the ship remains unchanged at 60,900 tonnes.
When the glass hydrometer is placed in the water at 300C it will expand and float slightly higher in the
water.
The reading at 300C will be:-
1.0150 x (1 + 0.000025 x 15) =1.0154 kg/l at 30oC.
The ship will also expand due to the water temperature of 300C and will float slightly higher in the water.
The volume of displacement of the ship corresponding to the new draught will
be:60,000 x (1 - 0.000033 x 15) =59,970 m3
So the weight of the ship is now calculated to be 59,970 x 1.0154 = 60,894
tonnes. The difference is 60,900 - 60,894 = 6 tonnes, or less than 0.01%
What happens if we correct the hydrometer?
The corrected hydrometer reading at 15oC would be 1.015
And the weight of the ship would calculate to 59,970 x 1.015, which is 60870, a difference from the
original survey of 30 tonnes.
Clearly it is more accurate to not correct for temperature.
2.4_Sampling the surrounding water
For various reasons there is frequently a difference between the density of the water taken near the
surface and the densities at various levels below the surface. It is therefore necessary to take
samples at various depths in order to obtain an average density. Furthermore, in special
circumstances and particularly where large vessels are concerned, there may be differences between
the samples taken at the forward, midships and aft sections of the vessel.
Sampling at various depths - The number of depths to be sampled depends on the draught of the
vessel concerned and partly on local circumstances, tidal waters, fresh water from rivers flowing into
the sea and so on. Samples can be taken according to the following guidelines.
• From small coasters it is usually adequate to take samples from the open water side of the vessel
close to the midships draught mark and at a distance below the water line corresponding to
approximately one-half of the midships draught. At least two samples should be taken to ensure
consistent results are obtained.
• For larger vessels, at least three samples should be taken near to the midships position at a distance
below the water line corresponding to one-sixth, one-half, and five-sixths of the midships draught.

Number of positions where samples should be taken - Whilst for small coasters it is usually sufficient to
take sample at the midships position, further sampling positions are necessary where large vessels are
concerned.
As a general rule samples should be taken at three positions, namely:
• Amidships;
• Midway between midships and the aft perpendicular • Midway between midships and the
forward perpendicular.

In order to take samples from different depths a density sampler is required. There are several types
available.
One is a closed device that can be opened once it has been lowered to the required depth; another
allows the water to pass through it, utilising a valve that opens as it is lowered but closes when being
raised; a third is a tumbler type sampler that remains inverted while lowering and is then tipped upright
to fill at the required depth.
There is, however a much simpler method and that is to use a slow filling sampling tube that will allow
an average sample to be taken by lowering it from the surface to the keel depth in the time it takes to
fill. Samples should still be taken at the various locations mentioned above especially where there is
any doubt regarding the local conditions.
A diagram and photograph of one designed by the author is shown in appendix 3. With three 10mm
holes it takes 40 seconds to fill and this is ample time to lower the device down as much as 15 meters.

Care should be taken to ensure that samples are not taken near to positions where the vessel may be
discharging cooling water or near outlets discharging water from shore into the dock.

Some of this section has been compiled from the following paper
WEIGHT/VOLUME RELATIONSHIPS CALCULATIONS REQUIRED FOR DRAFT SURVEY
E.Stokoe, Companion In Collaboration with D.C.Marshall, J.l.Strange and J.E.Turner

Self-Assessment Questions
1. What is Archimedes Principle?
2. What is the definition of density?
3. Why should you not correct density readings for temperature?
3 DRAUGHTS
Learning Outcome
At the end of this section you will understand what draught marks are; how they are constructed and
where they are located. You will also be familiar with methods of reading the draught at which the ship
is floating and the use of basic equipment to improve the accuracy.

3.1_Draught Marks
All ships are marked with suitable numbers so that the depth of water from the bottom of the keel to the
water line can be determined. These are known as draught marks and are positioned at the forward
middle and aft parts of the ship on each side making six locations altogether. These numbers can
sometimes be roman numerals, especially when they represent the little seen imperial system.
However modern vessels are all built in the metric system and Arabic numerals are the general rule.
These numbers are required to be permanently marked either by the use of raised figures or by the use
of weld beads. It should be pointed out that some small coasters do not have draught marks at the
midships position, but the official deck line is marked on the hull, from which the freeboard can be
measured. Freeboard is the distance from the top of the deck line to the water.

Imperial Draught Marks

T here are very few vessels left with Imperial Marks and in the not too distant future they will
disappear altogether. However, for now, an explanation is required.
E ach numeral is 6 inches high and made from 1 inch wide steel. They are located in a vertical line
such that each number is 6 inches apart. The bottom of each number indicates that number of feet
above the base line, which is the bottom of the keel.

Metric Draught Marks

M etric marks are similar in design except that the Numerals are constructed from 2 cm wide steel
and are 10 cms high. They are again placed on the hull in a vertical line, with the numerals 10 cms
apart and such that the bottom of the number indicates the number of meters and decimetres from
the base line which again is the bottom of the keel.
I n order to avoid repetition of the number of meters they are only marked every meter with the
numbers between indicated decimetres.

Examples of both types of marks are shown on the following two pages.
19 feet 10 inches

19 feet 5 inches

18 feet 6 inches

18 feet 3 inches

17 feet 4 inches
 Metric Marks

15.10 meters

14.82 meters

14.65 meters

14.54 meters

14.26 meters

3.2_Reading the draught marks

From the above diagrams it can be seen that the method of reading the draught is to assess where
the water level crosses the number or between the numbers. Clearly it is easier to assess the
draught when the water is cutting across a numeral but experience will allow the surveyor to assess
accurate draught readings when the water line is between the numerals. It is, in fact, harder, when
the water is between the marks, to read the draught when the water is flat calm. This is because
when the water is moving the surveyor can assess the maximum and minimum readings and obtain
the average that will be the correct reading.
As an example of the more common Metric marks, the above is a clear one. The water line can be
seen to cut the top of the “4” half way across the 2 centimetre thickness of the metal from which the
number was cut. (Note the “4” at the top of the picture for reference.) From this the reading is 8.49
meters.
The student should be aware that calm water, as depicted above, is the exception rather than the rule.
Some numbers are easier to read than others although they all have their own peculiarities. As an
example take the number “8”.

The way the number is constructed each section is 2cm deep, as can be seen from the diagram above.
The “6” has similar properties as does the “9” of “9M” in the above picture. It should be noted that the
“M” in the picture has the centre part at about the half way point of the letter and this also gives help
when assessing the draught. (i.e. if the water was across the bottom of the centre of the “M” in the
picture the reading would be 9.05 meters.
One final point to consider is when the draught marks are located on a sloping section of the hull. In
these circumstances the number is sometimes made longer to remain 10cm high in the horizontal
plane or sometimes small bars are added to indicate the correct reading at each 10 cm or
sometimes each 5 cm point.

10 cms

Number stretched to fit

 10 cms

Bars fitted to indicate readings (Top bar is 90 cms)

Before reading draughts you must ensure that all movement of ballast, fuel, fresh water, hatches
and cranes has stopped and that the ship is upright with a reasonable trim. When reading the
amidships draughts greater accuracy is required as they have a 75% greater influence on the final 3/4
mean draught than the forward or aft draughts.

3.3_Ships without midships marks

As already mentioned some small coaster do not have draught marks at the midships position only a
deck line marked usually at the level of the deck plates, although other positions are found. This line
is made in the same way as the draught marks, either from 1-inch wide or 2-centimetre wide flat steel
welded onto the hull with its top edge at a designated height from the bottom of the keel. This
designated distance is the sum of the official summer freeboard and the official summer draught. Note
that it is the official measurements that are required. Always ask the vessel for these two official
measurements and add them together to give the distance from keel to deck line. This is usually
referred to as “K” meaning Keel constant. On some ships, mainly small coasters, “K” has sometimes
been given incorrectly based on the moulded depth. Always check the “K” by asking for the summer
freeboard and summer draught and calculate the distance by adding them together to obtain the
correct figure.

To obtain the midships draught a measuring tape is used to measure the distance from the water to the
Top edge of the deck line and then subtracted from the “K” to give the draught. The tape should be
fitted with some form of plate on the end to help assess when it is at the water surface. In slight swell
conditions use the tape to measure maximum and minimum readings and then average them out as
explained on pages 22 & 23.
On occasions weight has to be added to the tape to prevent it swinging around in strong winds. How
this is done is left to the ingenuity of the surveyor.
3.4_Plimsoll Line
Sometimes called the load line, this mark indicates the maximum load draught allowed under Merchant
Shipping Regulations. The line through the centre of the circle indicates the summer load draught
along the Top edge of the line; also indicated by the “S” on the bars next to the circle. The other lines
and marks are not important with regard to draught surveying.

TF
F

L R S

WT

Plimsoll or Load Line

 Measuring tape fitted with plate on bottom to assist in measuring to the water level.

Deck Line

Plimsoll Line

Ship without draught marks amidships, showing deck line above the load line.

This deck line is not at deck level, but the ships load line certificate will have the distance from the
Plimsoll line to the deck line listed as the summer freeboard. All measurement on these marks are from
the top of the lines.

3.5_Readings with Waves and swell

When there is wave and swell action it is harder to obtain accurate readings. There is no substitute,
in these circumstances, for experience and all students should take every opportunity to work
with an experienced surveyor until they are sure of their ability to read draughts correctly.

There are, however, methods and equipment that will help to achieve this.
In moderate conditions draughts can be read by averaging the maximum and minimum readings
obtained from observing the wave action. For a reasonable answer at least six pairs of readings should
be obtained. These should be maximum and minimum readings of one wave cycle.

There are various ways to average these sets of readings.

1. The largest and smallest means of the six are rejected and the remaining four pairs averaged.
2. All six means are averaged
3. The largest and smallest readings are rejected and the remaining ten averaged
For example. The following readings are obtained from a survey:

Reading 1&2 3&4 5&6 7&8 9&10 11&12

Max 9.28 9.32 9.26 9.26 9.30 9.36

Min 9.15 9.10 9.18 9.20 9.14 9.11

Mean 9.215 9.21 9.22 9.23 9.22 9.235

1. Reject means of 3&4 and 11&12 and the average of the rest is 9.22125
2. The average of all six means is 9.2217
3. Reject readings 4 and 11 and the average of the rest is 9.22

From the above the draught used would be 9.22 meters

3.6_Draught Reading Equipment

Wave Damping Tube

When more severe conditions are present the use of a wave damping tube should be considered. This
is simple device made from a length of plastic tube with a weight on the end. A small hole is drilled
through the weight to allow water to enter the tube. It works on the principle that wave action is only
evident on the surface and a few meters down the vertical water movement will be insignificant. A
simple one used by the author is shown on the next page.

In use the tube is attached to the vessel using the magnet so that the tube hangs over the draught
marks. A short time is allowed to elapse for the tube to fill through the small hole or it is first immersed
to allow the tube to fill and then attached to the hull and the water in the tube allowed to drain down to a
steady reading. Slight movement will be noticed but very accurate readings are possible.

Normally a boat is required for the forward and aft draughts but at amidships it can be positioned by
using the attached safety line to lower the device at arms length from the ships side and then letting it
swing in so the magnet attaches. Because of parallax the level in the tube needs to be viewed as close
as possible to water level. If a boat is not available then the use of a rope ladder will be required.

The addition of a small polystyrene ball helps the water surface in the tube to be easily seen.
When used where a tide is running the tube should be positioned so that it sits across the draught
marks, as the moving water will cause it to lie at an angle.

A Diagram of the design for a similar tube to the one pictured on the next page is shown in Appendix 2
 Polystyrene
float

Wave Damping Tube

3.7_Manometer
In some circumstances the wave and swell activity can be such that it may be too rough to use a boat
or it may be difficult or impossible to position the Wave Damping Tube on the hull. This situation can
often be resolved by the use of a manometer to measure the list across the deck at midships, which is
then added to, or subtracted from, the inboard draught reading to obtain the outboard draught.

It is not necessary for the manometer to be fitted with a scale at the ends as the height of the water in
the tube is measured from the deck on each side using a tape measure. However if a scale is fitted
and used for the reading care must be taken that the scale is fixed at the same height on each side.

A simple monometer is constructed from a length of plastic tubing. The authors is made from 35 meters
of 10mm outside diameter, 6mm inside diameter, tube filled with water. On each end is a valve
connected to a short section of 19mm tube. The valves are to allow the water in the tube to be retained
without any air bubbles in it when the device is not in use. This is important, as any entrapped air will
prevent the manometer working properly. The short sections of 19mm tube are to provide a damping
action to the movement of water in the system that is caused by ship movement.
Manometer Difference in
port/stbd. draughts

W L
Difference in
port/stbd. draughts
Port
draught
From the above diagram the starboard draught is equal to the port draught plus the difference in port
stbd draughts from the manometer.
In the event that the manometer is not long enough to reach the vessels sides the true difference can
be calculated from the measured difference by the use of similar triangles. In this case the manometer
is set to obtain readings at a known distance apart across the vessel.

Manometer
Difference in port/stbd.
d readings

W L
Difference in
Breadth
Port Port/stbd draughts
draught

In the above example: -

Diff in port/stbd draughts = Diff in port/stbd readings

Breadth d
Therefore;
Diff in port/stbd draughts = Breadth x Diff in readings

Worked example
A vessel with a beam of 45m has a draught on the port side amidships of 16.47m.
A monometer is rigged on the centre line with the ends 32 m apart.
The heights of the water levels in the manometer are 86 cms from the deck on the
starboard side and 64 cms from the deck on the port side.
Calculate the starboard midships draught.
Diff in manometer readings is 86-64 = 22 cms.
Therefore the difference in port stbd draughts = 45m x 22cms = 30.94cms
32m
From the readings of the manometer the vessel has a starboard list so the
starboard draught will be deeper than the port one therefore the starboard draught
is16.47m + 0.31m = 16.78m
In some situations the use of both the wave damping tube and the manometer are required to obtain
accurate readings. This was particularly necessary in a tropical port where the loading facility was
outside the harbour breakwater and exposed to strong wave activity. This was more so in the hours
after midday when a strong onshore breeze set in and the outboard side of the vessel was subject to
high waves and swell making it impossible to read the draughts. The more sheltered inboard side of
the vessel was also subject to a certain amount of wave activity and the wave damping tube was used
to eliminate this and produce an accurate inboard draught. The manometer then gives the list that
allows the outboard draughts to be calculated accurately as well. One added advantage of this set-up
is the ability to control the final loading runs to obtain an upright condition using the manometer and a
radio to talk to the loader operative.
There are some more sophisticated wave damping tubes on the market that allow readings to be taken
from the deck of the ship rather than from a boat or a pilot ladder. These involve an electrical signal
that sounds when the device is in contact with the water level in the wave damping tube. One such
item is shown here.

The stainless steel tube contains some electronics, a battery, a buzzer and four led flashing lights on
the top. The red hose screws onto the bottom of the tube and the tape measure connects to the top.
As can be seen from the pictures, the parts of the device are numbered as each one is individually
made. (This one is No.4) So tape measure No 4 is set so that zero is the blue line near the bottom
of tube No 4 and this is the point at which the buzzer will sound and the lights flash when the electric
probe inside the tube comes into contact with the water. The stainless steel end piece on the red
tube is filled with lead to provide sufficient weight. (With a hole through it of course) In use it is very
easy to obtain an accurate reading even with some swell as it is possible to obtain a maximum and
minimum readings which will only be one or two centimetres apart thus allowing an accurate average
to be made. This device is particularly useful on ships where there are no midships draught marks.
Self-Assessment Questions
1 H ow far apart are metric draught marks, from what width steel are they made and how are they
usually marked on the ships hull plates.

2 What must you check before reading any draughts at a survey

3 W hat average draughts would you obtain from the following sets of draught readings taken in a
swell?
Calculate the mean of each pair and suggest an average draught that you would use
Reading 1&2 3&4 5&6 7&8 9&10 11&12

Max 4.35 4.20 4.42 4.28 4.39 4.45

Min 4.12 4.15 4.06 4.18 4.11 4.07

Mean

4 W hat two pieces of equipment can be used to assist in reading draughts in sea and swell
conditions?

5 Calculate the starboard midships draught from the following data

A vessel with a beam of 35m has a draught on the port side amidships of 12.49m.
A manometer is rigged on the centre line with the ends 32 m apart.
T he heights of the water levels in the manometer are 71 cms from the deck on the starboard side
and 92cms from the deck on the port side.
Calculate the starboard midships draught

6. Calculate the Port midships draught from the following data

A vessel with a radiused shear strake and a beam of 38.9 meters, has the main deck hand rails
situated 1.46 meters inboard from the outside of the shell plating. The draught on the starboard
side is 7.49 meters.
A manometer is rigged on the midships line with the ends hanging from the hand rails.
T he heights of the water levels in the manometer are 104 cms from the deck on the port side and
82cms from the deck on the starboard side.
Calculate the port midships draught.