GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jul 27, 2026
Draft
Draft is the vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest point of a vessel's hull – in other words, how deep a loaded ship sits in the water.
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Source: https://pancanal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/N01-2024-Vessel-Requirements-AC.pdf
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Draft is the vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest point of a vessel's hull – in other words, how deep a loaded ship sits in the water. It depends on cargo load, ballast and water density: a vessel sits deeper in fresh water than in salt water. For freight forwarders and shipping lines, draft is a hard capacity limit, because ports, rivers and canals impose maximum permissible drafts. When water levels in the Panama Canal fall, the canal authority lowers the limit for Neopanamax vessels, forcing carriers to load fewer containers or shift heavy units to later sailings (rollover). Surcharges such as the Panama Canal Surcharge often follow. Draft is stated in metres or feet and read off the draft marks on the hull. Not to be confused with the loadable depth (Abladetiefe), which describes the usable water depth of an inland waterway.
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