[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR32.05-1]

[Page 425]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
         CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 32_SPECIAL EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY, AND HULL REQUIREMENTS--Table 
 
                         Subpart 32.05_Markings
 
Sec. 32.05-1  Draft marks and draft indicating systems--TB/ALL.


    (a) All vessels must have draft marks plainly and legibly visible 
upon the stem and upon the sternpost or rudderpost or at any place at 
the stern of the vessel as may be necessary for easy observance. The 
bottom of each mark must indicate the draft.
    (b) The draft must be taken from the bottom of the keel to the 
surface of the water at the location of the marks.
    (c) In cases where the keel does not extend forward or aft to the 
location of the draft marks, due to raked stem or cutaway skeg, the 
datum line from which the drafts shall be taken, shall be obtained by 
projecting the line of the bottom of the keel forward or aft, as the 
case may be, to the location of the draft marks.
    (d) In cases where a vessel may have a skeg or other appendage 
extending locally below the line of the keel, the draft at the end of 
the vessel adjacent to such appendage shall be measured to a line 
tangent to the lowest part of such appendage and parallel to the line of 
the bottom of the keel.
    (e) Draft marks must be separated so that the projections of the 
marks onto a vertical plane are of uniform height equal to the vertical 
spacing between consecutive marks.
    (f) Draft marks must be painted in contrasting color to the hull.
    (g) In cases where draft marks are obscured due to operational 
constraints or by protrusions, the vessel must be fitted with a reliable 
draft indicating system from which the bow and stern drafts can be 
determined.

[CGFR 65-50, 30 FR 16671, Dec. 30, 1965, as amended by CGD 89-037, 57 FR 
41821, Sept. 11, 1992]