Float (nautical)

Have you ever seen a toy boat in a swimming pool or a bathtub? When you put it in the water, it floats on top, right? The same thing happens with big boats, except they are much heavier and have to be designed in a special way so they can float in the water.

Float is a word that means how well something stays on top of the water. When we talk about float in relation to boats, we mean how well they stay on top of the water even when they are very heavy. Boats are made with special materials and shapes so they can float.

In nautical terms, float also means the draft or the distance between the waterline and the lowest point of the boat that’s underwater. So, when we talk about a boat’s float, we mean how much of the boat is underwater and how much is above the water.

It's important for boats to have the right amount of float. If a boat has too much float or draft, it might not be able to go into shallow waters or move very quickly. And if it doesn't have enough float or draft, it might not be very stable and could tip over.

So, when we talk about float in nautical terms, we are referring to how well a boat stays on top of the water and how much of the boat is underwater.