What does draught mean in sailing?
Draught, or more commonly, draft, refers to the depth of the boat. For example, a sailboat that has a draft of 3 feet, 6 inches, mean that this boat requires a minimum water depth of 3 feet 6 inches. Any less water depth than that and her keel will start hitting bottom. Another way of saying the same thing is to say that this hypothetical boat “draws” 3′ 6″. Basically, it is the vertical distance from the bottom of the vessels’ keel to the vessels’ water-line, or vice-versa.
