The ship’s officer will often check the draft during the loading and unloading process, and this job is mainly carried out by the chief officer himself, especially during the draft survey, notes Capt. Zhao, Marine Safety Manager of DASIN Singapore based shipping company.
The ship’s draft mark is very inconvenient to read due to the design, especially the midship and stern draft marks. If ship alongside, the inboard draft mark can be read from the berth, If the port does not allow crew going ashore due to security or covid-19 restrictions, then the pilot ladder or small crane must be used to check the draft, A similar approach should be taken for the seaward draft reading.
No matter what method is used, as long as the draught is read onboard, it involves outboard operations. However, a recent spate of fatal accidents has raised public concern, involving crew members reading the draft and falling overboard resulting in death.
