Boat Design Terms

[Alan Peck]

I have a set of plans and I am not sure what a couple of the terms mean.

lwl: I think this means the load waterline-the waterline the boat is designed to float at.

However, there is also shown a line marked WLO. This line is about 1/2" higher than the lwl.

Does anyone know what this means?

Thanks

[Chris Krumm]

You are correct that lwl refers to "load waterline" on the plans. This should be the design waterline that inlcudes weight Hull weight + some specified payload, to include crew, oars, stores, beer coolers, whatever.

LWL is often called DWL for "datum waterline, " but can also refer to "length waterline" (at the load waterline...)when seen alongside LOA for "length overall."

I could only surmise WLO means "waterline overloaded"? Or maybe it refers to "waterline 0" in the context of a baseline...Do you see other waterlines such as WL1, WL2, or something like that at fixed intervals?

Hope this helps rather than confuses.

[Alan Peck]

Chris: I believe you have it exactly right. There are two are other lines called WL1 and WL2.
These lines are parallel to WL0 and are equidistant. Sure looks like WL0 is a baseline.

Thanks