You are reading the draft marks as shown in illustration D032DG. The water level is about 4 inches below the bottom of 10. What is the draft?

Correct Answer: Option C — 9'-08"

Draft marks are sized and spaced in 6-inch increments. Water standing 4 inches below the bottom of the 10-foot numeral lowers the baseline reading by those 4 inches, yielding a total operational draft of 9 feet 8 inches.