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Draft Survey
Dec 21, 2019 by admin in Bulk Carrier

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DRAFT
SURVEY

Introduction
A ship as a carrier can
face many claims arising
from the short delivery of
cargo. There are various
ways in which cargo
loaded can be accounted
for. On General Cargo
ships, cargo is either
loaded as pieces or
unitised. On Container
ships, each container is
stuffed under survey and
sealed prior to being
loaded onboard. On
Tankers, special
calculations involving the
temperature and specific
gravity are used to
ascertain the quantity of
liquid loaded. Timber
Carriers once again use
Carriers once again use
the piece or bundle
method for accounting
cargo loaded. A Ro-Ro ship
would use the system of
tally and identity of each
unit, be it a car, truck,
trailer, bus or machinery on
wheels.

How about dry bulk cargo

that is poured into the
holds of a ship? Bulk
carriers are either loaded
by grabs or by means of
conveyor belts and chutes.
Sophisticated terminals
have accurate shore scales
where the cargo is
weighed prior to being put
on the belt or into a truck.
However the ship as the
carrier may still be held
responsible at the
discharge port if the
figures loaded and the
figures discharged differ
by a large amount.

A draft survey is the

“before and after” survey,
which determines by
measurement, the vessel’s
displacement before and
after loading or
discharging. The difference
between these two
displacements is the
weight of cargo loaded or
discharged.
The purpose of a draft
survey is to determine the
amount of cargo loaded or
discharged for the benefit
of all the interested parties
— the shippers, the
receivers, the charterers
and the ship owners.

A well-conducted draft
survey of a large vessel
should achieve accuracy to
within 0.5%.

A deadweight survey is
carried out under
circumstances when it
may not be possible to
conduct the before and
after surveys, or there is
no need to do so. For
example, the ship’s officer
wants to know the quantity
of cargo onboard at any
juncture during the loading
or discharge. He can do a
deadweight survey. The
weights of all non-cargo
elements on the vessel are
determined; bunkers,
ballast, fresh water, stores,
etc. These are then added
to the light displacement
(including any lightship
constant). This total is
then deducted from the
present displacement to
give the approximate
weight of cargo on board.
Objectives
1. To explain lightship
weight and lightship
constant.

2. To explain the general

steps of a draft survey.

3. To explain the
significance of trim, list,
hog and sag and the
corrections to be applied.

4. To lay out the general

format for calculations of
a draft survey.

Lightship
weight
The Lightship weight is the
weight of the ship’s hull
and its full equipment,
engine room spares, water
in the boilers to the
working level and
lubricating oil in the
engines. It does not
include weight of
personnel, cargo, fuel,
stores and water. It is
obtained by means of an
inclining experiment when
the ship is built. The
inclining experiment may
have been performed years
ago depending on the age
of the ship. The lightship
weight will increase with
the passage of time due to
change of equipment, the
build up of paint over the
surface of the ship, the
storage of old equipment,
mud in the ballast tanks,
scale in tanks and so on.
This growth is accounted
for in the Lightship
Constant.

Lightship
Constant or
Constant
The value of the lightship
constant is obtained from
each draft survey. You
shall learn how the value is
obtained in this module.
The value will vary from
survey to survey but a
record must be maintained
so that an average value of
the constant will be readily
available.

The value of constant has

its significance when we
do a Deadweight Survey.
Here in a single survey we
have to determine cargo
quantity. We obtain the
displacement from the
draft, subtract all
deductibles from the
displacement, then
subtract lightship and
Constant to obtain the
Constant to obtain the
residual deadweight which
is the quantity of cargo
onboard.

General steps
of a draft
survey

Preparation for
survey

Prior to arrival ballast

tanks should be adjusted
to a level covered by the
sounding tables so that
the right figure of ballast
can be obtained. This is
done because should
ballast tanks be pressed
up, they could still retain
air pockets. Again in case
of an empty tank it is
difficult to establish that
the tank is completely
empty without visual
inspection. Hence there
should be some water in it.

Prior arrival at the load

port ballast holds should
be empty of ballast if
possible. This is due to the
fact that ballast holds are
not well calibrated and
large errors may creep up
in establishing quantity of
water in them.

The trim of the vessel

The trim of the vessel
should be adjusted to be
safe and suitable for
navigation but within the
limits of the trim
correction given in the
sounding tables.

The vessel should be

brought upright.

Documents required for

the survey should be kept
ready. Documents will
include the ship’s
particulars, the hydrostatic
tables, capacity plan with
deadweight scale, general
arrangement plan,
sounding tables,
corrections to drafts,
correction for list,
corrections to soundings,
trim corrections if provided
for the ship and
hydrometer certificate.

Equipment is to be kept
ready and will include the
sampling bucket and
sample jars, hydrometer,
sounding tape, a powerful
flashlight incase of
darkness, ladders for
observing the drafts if a
launch is not available.

There should be no
movement of ballast, fresh
water, bunkers cargo and
hatches and moorings
until the measurements
are taken and agreed by
the surveyor and the ship’s
officer.

Documentation
and Information

The surveyor and the

ship’s officer discuss
documentation details
such as the ship’s
particulars, and the
location and state of all
compartments.

Instruction pages of the

hydrostatic particulars and
sounding tables are a
check made of the tank
capacities with the studied
and capacity plan.

The base for

measurement of vertical
heights, the reference point
for longitudinal
measurements, the units
and the sign conventions
used in the tables are
verified.

full sounding depths of

tanks, the summer draft
and freeboard and the
record of recent tank
soundings should be
noted.

If a bunker survey is not

carried out, the Chief
Engineer’ bunker figures
(fuel oil, diesel oil and
lubrication oil) are
required, also the daily port
ti titi
consumption quantities.

Should any bunkers or

stores be delivered during
the vessel’s stay in port
then those additional
quantities are to be
included in the final survey.

The position of the

anchors should be
checked, should any
alterations be proposed
during the stay then the
weight of the anchors and
cables should be
determined. However on
large vessels this would
hardly make a difference.

Density

Using a clean, dry

sample bucket take
samples from half draft
depths from at least two
positions on the offshore
and onshore sides,
avoiding the ship’s
overboard discharges and
stagnant water between
ship and jetty. Take
samples of about one litre
and do not mix them.

Take the density of

each sample quickly,
protecting the sample jar
from the wind and direct
sunlight. Gently lower the
hydrometer into the
sample until it floats freely.
Take the hydrometer
reading where the overall
level liquid surface meets
the graduated stem, not
the top of the meniscus.
Avoid parallax by placing
the eye in line with the
liquid level.

If density readings of
the various samples show
no major variation then
calculate the average
value. However if there are
suspicious variations in
the readings the additional
samples should be taken.

Drafts

A six-point draft
(forward, midship and aft
—port / starboard) should
be read with great care
and every effort should be
made to read the drafts
from a level as close to
eye level as possible. A
boat is preferable to a
ladder for reading the
offshore drafts. Reading
the onshore drafts from
the jetty is preferable to
using a ladder or reading
forward drafts from the
forecastle deck.

If required the midship

drafts can be obtained by
measuring the freeboard
from the waterline to the
top of the deckline.

Drafts and density

should be obtained at
nearly t most accurate at
slat he same time if
possible. They are k water
but this may not always be
practical.

Due allowance for swell

must be made when
reading drafts and a series
of averaged readings will
lead to greater accuracy.

Case 1: Ship on
even keel,
upright, no
hog, and no
sag

Consider a ship to be on
even keel and upright. The
ship is neither hogged nor
sagged. Let us consider
the steps for carrying out
deadweight survey.

First of all as the ship is

upright, le. no list the
drafts forward read on the
port and starboard sides
will be the same. The
same applies for aft port /
starboard and for midship
port / starboard.

As the ship is on even

keel ie. has no trim,
forward and aft drafts will
be the same.

As the ship is neither

hogged nor sagged, the
forward, aft and midship
drafts will be the same.

Also since the ship has

no trim, the drafts as read
at the draft marks will be
the same as the drafts at
the perpendiculars and at
midships.

So the hydrostatic draft

will be the same as the
forward, aft and midship
drafts.

With this hydrostatic

draft we obtain the
displacement from the
hydrostatic tables.

This displacement will

have to be corrected to the
density of the water in
which the ship is floating.

Now we have to obtain

the deductibles on board
the ship. They will include
ballast water and fresh
water by soundings. As
there is no trim, the
soundings obtained from
the sounding pipes will be
the true soundings and so
we easily obtain the
volume of water in the
tanks. Allowing for the
density of the water in
tanks we obtain the
quantity of ballast
quantity of ballast.

Displacement less
deductibles, less lightship
weight, less lightship
constant will give us a
fairly accurate figure of the
cargo onboard.

Had we done initial and

final surveys (le. a draft
survey) then the difference
in the before and after
displacements would
directly give us the cargo
figure.

Case 2: Ship
with trim and
list, either with
hog or sag
This is a more realistic
situation and due to trim,
list, hog or sag we have to
proceed with the steps
below, correcting the drafts
and then the displacement
in order to obtain an
accurate cargo figure by
draft survey.

Correcting the
drafts

1. Correct the observed

drafts to the centreline, i.e.
the mean of the port and
starboard drafts.
Forward
Mean Draft =
(Fp + Fs ) ÷ 2

(Forward
port plus
Forward
stbd. ÷ by 2)

Aft Mean
Draft = (Ap +
As) ÷ 2

(Aft port plus

Aft stbd. ÷ by
2)
Midship
Mean Draft =
(Mp + Ms) ÷
2

(Midship port
+ midship
stbd. ÷ by 2)

2. Correct the centreline

drafts to their value at the
correct position of the
perpendiculars and
midships. This is done
because the forward and
aft draft marks may not be
situated at the forward and
aft perpendiculars
respectively. The midship
draft marks may not be
situated at the true
midship position. Hence
corrections are to be
applied to the Mean
f
Forward, Aft and Midship
drafts to bring them to the
perpendiculars and to true
midships respectively. The
ship’s stability booklet may
have tabulated corrections
to be applied. If these
corrections do not exist
then the distance of the
draft marks to the
perpendiculars will be
given. Apply the following
corrections:

Forward
Correction =

Apparent
Trim x
Distance D
FP to Df
Distance Da
to Df
Aft
Correction =

Apparent
Trim x
Distance D
AP to Da
Distance Da
to Df

Midship
Correction =

Apparent
Trim x
Distance D M
to Dm
Distance Da
to Df
Correction of Drafts to
Perpendiculars and
Midships.

Where:-

Apparent Trim = the

difference between Da and
Df

AP :- aft perpendicular

FP :- forward
perpendicular

LBP:- length between

perpendiculars

D AP:- draft at aft

perpendicular

Da DM:- draft at aft draft

marks draft at midships

Dm:- draft at midship draft

marks

D FP:- draft at forward

perpendicular
Df:- draft at forward draft
marks

Sign convention:

If the direction of the

misplacement of the draft
mark from the
perpendicular is the same
as the direction of the trim,
then the correction is
negative (-). i.e. if the
vessel is trimmed by stern
and the draft mark is
situated aft of the after
perpendicular then the
correction is subtracted
from the observed draft to
obtain draft at the
perpendicular.

Note: when the vessel is on

even keel, then no
correction has to be
applied. The Mean of
Corrected Fore and Aft
Drafts {(Fc + Ac) /2} is
called “M1”.The Mean of
Corrected Midship Draft is
called “M2”

Allow for hog or sag and

obtain the correct draft
midships (true hydrostatic
draft).

The correction to the

perpendiculars and
midships assumes that the
keel of the vessel is
straight. In this case there
is no hog or sag and no
correction is required to
obtain the mean of means
or the true hydrostatic
draft. However most often
this equired is not the
case. If MI is greater than
M2 then the vessel is
hogged, and if M1 less
than M2 the vessel is
sagged. In these cases a
correction must be
applied.

Actual draft when a vessel

is hogged or sagged

AMD indicates the

‘Arithmetic Mean Draft. It
is the mean of the forward
and aft drafts that gives us
the midship draft if there
was no hog or sag.

The figure also indicates

the actual draft and actual
freeboard when the vessel
is hogged or sagged.

If the actual draft is less

than AMD then the vessel
is hogged.

f f
If the actual draft is
greater than AMD then the
vessel is sagged.

There are several methods

of calculating the
correction for hog and sag.
We are going to learn two
methods.

Method 1

M3 is also known as the

‘Mean of Means’

M4 is the Quarter mean or

True Hydrostatic Draft

Method 2

M4 is the True Hydrostatic

Draft.

Both the above methods

will produce the same
results.
Obtain Displacement and apply

corrections 

1. Enter the hydrostatic tables

with this True Hydrostatic Draft M4,

to obtain the uncorrected

displacement (W). Also extract

the values of MCTC, LCF, and TPC

that are required for the Trim

Corrections. 

2. Correct this value of

displacement for: 

a) Density

Apply the Index Error if any

as quoted on the
hydrometer certificate. 

Do not apply any

correction for
temperature. 

Do not adjust draft for

density but correct the
displacement instead. 

b) First Trim Correction

b) First Trim Correction

The displacement scale is

calculated assuming the
vessel to be on even keel.
The first trim correction,
also known as the layer
correction, is applied to
correct the draft amidships
to the true mean draft at
the centre of flotation.

Sign Convention: 

TRIM LCF LCF AFT

FORWARD OF
OF MIDSHIP
MIDSHIPS

By negative (-) Positive (

Stern

By positive (+) negative

head

Trim Corrections

In figure, WL is the water

line when the vessel is on
even keel. 

W1L1 is the waterline

when the vessel is
trimmed. 

AMD is the arithmetic

mean draft i.e. mean of
forward and aft drafts that
gives midship draft. 

TMD is the true mean draft

at the position of the
centre of floatation (at
LCF). 

Layer correction is the

difference between TMD
and AMD. 

c) Second Trim Correction

As the vessel trims, the

centre •of flotation (LCF)
shifts. The second trim
correction is applied for
this shift of LCF. The
position of the LCF as
specified in the hydrostatic
particulars is normally for
the even keel condition.
What we require is the
draft at the final position
of LCF and the
displacement
corresponding to this draft.

Where: 

MCTC2 MCTC for mean

MCTC2 = MCTC for mean
adjusted draft + 50 cm 

MCTC1 = MCTC for mean

adjusted draft — 50 cm 

Sign Convention: 

2nd Trim Correction is

always positive (+). 

Actual Displacement =
Displacement corrected for
density and 1st Trim
Correction + 2nd Trim
Correction. 

Normally the 1st and 2nd

corrections are
algebraically added
together and called total
trim correction. 

D) Correction for List 

If a vessel is listed, then

the mean of the side drafts
is a centreline draft which
is less than the actual
draft that would have been
observed had she been
upright. This may be
ignored for small angles of
list. However for larger
angles a correction needs
to be applied. 
Correction for List (in
tonnes) = 6(TPC2 TPC1) x
(Mp difference Ms) 

Where: 

Mp and Ms = midship
drafts on port / stbd.
sides 

TPCp = TPC value for Mp 

TPCs = TPC value for Ms 

Therefore: 

Actual Displacement =
Displacement corrected for
density, Trim Corrections
and Correction for List. 

Sign Convention: 

Correction for List is

always positive (+). 

Determine the
quantity of
Deductibles

1. Deductibles are the

components of the ship’s
components of the ship s
total weight, which must
be deducted from the
actual calculated
displacement in order to
determine the Weight of
the cargo on board. 

2. Deductibles will include

ballast water, fresh water,
fuel oil, diesel oil,
lubricating Oil and stores,
provisions, crew and their
effects. The latter will be
more or less constant
during a draft survey and
can be added on to the
light ship. However if the
vessel is to receive a large
quantity of stores then
such weights will have to
be accounted for in the
final survey.

3. Every compartment
capable of carrying water
should be carefully
sounded. 

4. When at an exposed
berth the movement of the
vessel may create errors.
To overcome this problem
several soundings should
be taken and the average
value is to be taken. 

5. The sounding tape must

be checked to ensure that
it reaches the bottom of
the tank. It must be noted
that the vertical tank
height and the length of
sounding pipe may be
different. 

6. Full tanks may have air

pockets especially when
the ship is trimmed. Hence
the level of the water
within the tanks should be
within the range for which
the trim correction can be
applied. 

7. Empty tanks will

probably have residual
water even at zero
soundings. These
indeterminable quantities
can be ignored at both the
before and after surveys,
provided that all parties
are satisfied that no
changes have taken place
during the interval between
surveys. 

8. If ballast soundings are

outside the maximum range of

the calibration tables then ballast

should be run out until the level is

suitable. 

9. The duct keel, pipe tunnel,

peak tanks and swimming pool

must not be overlooked when

taking soundings. 

10. Cargo -hold bilges must be

checked and sounded. Any bilges

pumped out during the port stay

must be recorded. When a vessel

loads a dry cargo that has been

wetted, a record of bilges

pumped out during the voyage is

very useful evidence to explain

any apparent loss of cargo at the

any apparent loss of cargo at the

discharge port. 

11. Ballast holds cause

problems due to poor
calibration and hull
deformation. Hence they
should Preferably be
emptied prior arrival at the
load port. 

12. Bunker tanks need not

be inspected or sounded
during a draft survey
unless a bunker survey is
also required. The chief
engineer’s figures of fuel
oil, diesel oil and
lubricating oil are accepted
along with Daily
consumption figure for the
vessel’s the stay in port.

13. The sounding Pipes of

the tanks may be at a
position where they will
always give the correct
sounding of the tanks
irrespective of the trim
Hence observed 

14. soundings will have to

be corrected for the trim of
the vessel. Sounding
tables will most often give
the trim correction for
each tank, These
corrections are calibrated
for every half metre of
trim. 

15. If no trim correction is

available for the soundings, It

may be calculated by the

formula:
formula: 

Where: ‘d’ is the distance from

the sounding pipe to the tank

centre, 

(Approximate measurements can

be taken from the plans of the

tanks). 

Sign Convention:-

TRIM SOUNDING SOUND

FORWARD AFT OF
OF TANK TANK
CENTRE CENTRE

By negative (-) Positive

Stern

By positive (+) negative

head

Refer to the figure:-

Trim Correction for the Liquid in a Tank

16. By sounding a ballast

tank and using the
sounding tables, the
volumes of liquid is
obtained. It is most
i h h k
important that each tank
should be sampled for
density as well as being
sounded for volume. The
density of the water must
be accurately checked.

17. Calculate the mass of

water by the formula Mass
= Volume x Density.

18. Tanks for liquids,

particularly ballast tanks,
are subject to a build up of
residues and scale. The
quantity of this sediment is
hard to assess. To reduce
this effect on ballast
calculation, leave a
measurable quantity of
water in a tank rather than
pumping it dry
(unpumpable ballast water
serves the purpose). Now
the error of the unknown
weight of sediment is
reduced to the difference
between the density of
water and density of the
sediment.

19. Anchors may be in the

hawse pipes, where they
contribute to the lightship
may have been used for
mooring the ship. There
will be information
onboard to establish the
onboard to establish the
weight of the missing
anchors and cables. If the
is no information, then use
the following formula for
calculating the weight of
the cables: 

Where link diameter is the

diameter of the steel rod,
which makes up each link. 

The weight of the anchors

will be obtained from the
certificates on board. 

Final survey

After completion of
loading or discharging as
the case may be, repeat
steps of DENSITY ,
DRAFTS, CORRECTING
THE DRAFTS, DETERMINE
THE QUANTITY OF
DEDUCTIBLES.

Format for
calculations of a
draft survey:-

DRAFT
STATEMENT

METERS METE

Draft
Forward
(port)

Draft
Forward
(stbd)

Draft
Forward
(mean)

Stem
Correction

Draft
forward
(corr'd to
fore pp)

Draft aft
port

Draft aft
starboard

Draft aft
mean

Stern
correction

Draft aft
(corrected
to aft pp)

Draft fore
and aft
Mean

Draft
midship
port

Draft
midship
starboard

Draft
midship
mean
METERS METE
Midship
Correction

Draft
midship
(corrected
to
midship
pp)

Sag(+)
Hog(-)

Mean of
Means

Quarter
Mean

Trim
fwd(-)
aft(+)

KG/M³ KG/M³

Observed
Density

Ship Table
Density
(kg/m³)

Hydrometer

METRIC ME
TONNES TON

Displacement
(at
......kg/m³)

First Trim
Correction

Second trim
correction

Total Trim
Correction

Displacement
corrected for METRIC ME
Trim TONNES TON
Correction
for density
average

Displacement
corrected for
Density

Total
Deductibles

Displacement
corrected for
deductibles

SUMMARY OF
DEDUCTIBLES

METRIC MET
TONNES TONN

Ballast
Water

Fresh
Water

Fuel Oil

Diesel Oil

Slops

Lubricating
Oil

Swimming
Pool Water

Anchor and
Chain

Others

Total
Deductibles
CARGO METRIC
STATEMENT TONNES

Starting
displacement
corrected

Finishing
displacement
corrected

Difference in
displacement =
TOTAL CARGO IN
BULK IS:

OBSERVATIONS:
Shore scale
quantity(If
available)MT

METRIC
TONNES

Corrected Light
Displacement

Deductibles

Lightship

Constant

Means of
previous
constant

Conclusion

a) Consider the format of

draft survey given above.
The difference in
displacement obtained
from the initial and final
draft surveys gives the
cargo on board. Let us say
that the ship was coming
to load. Then the initial
displacement obtained
from the draft survey
would be the sum of
Lightship plus Lightship
Constant. The final
displacement would be
Cargo plus Lightship plus
Lightship Constant. Hence
the difference gives us the
cargo loaded. This method
of draft survey eliminates
the error of change in
Constant. Similarly if the
ship was coming in to
discharge. Then the initial
displacement is Cargo plus
Lightship plus Lightship
Constant. The final
displacement would be
Lightship plus Constant.
The difference gives us the
cargo discharged. From
the above, by subtracting
the known Lightship
weight, we obtain the
Constant of the ship. This
Constant will vary from
survey to survey but we
can obtain an average
value over a period of
time. 

b)  Shortage claims on bulk

carriers are a major concern to

ship owners. The result is claims

involving significant sums of

money. While it may be

impossible to overcome every

impossible to overcome every

problem that may be

encountered, the ship’s officer

must practice vigilance and

sincerity while carrying out the

survey in an organised and

methodical manner in order to

achieve maximum accuracy. 

Tagged with: bulk carrier draft survey,

deadweight survey, draft survey, draught

survey

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ONE THOUGHT ON

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