A vessel has a maximum allowable draft of 28 feet in salt water and a fresh water allowance of 8 inches. At the loading berth, the water density is 1.011. To what draft can she load in order to be at her marks when she reaches the sea? (The salt water density is 1.025.)

Correct Answer: Option D — 28' 04.5"

Determine permitted loading draft by applying dock water density corrections and Fresh Water Allowance (FWA) under 46 CFR Subchapter E. The proportional density difference between salt water (1.025) and berth water (1.011) allows loading 4.5 inches deeper than the 28-foot salt water limit, equaling 28' 04.5".