MagisterMan wrote:
Hi everoyne!
I got a bit confused with the draft marks on the Tribals.
1. Was there a gap of some kind between the numbers?
2. What where the highest and the lowest numbers then? There were several pictures showing them as XVIII - III, but I'm not sure whether it's the same in this picture of HMS Eskimo as the numbers look different to me.
3. From what number was the mark painted white to be better recognised on the lower part of the hull?
Best regards,
Mikhail
Hi Mikhail,
The draft marks are measured from the bottom of the bow and upwards. So the lowest mark -III- is three feet from the bottom, the upper mark -XVIII- is 18 feet from the bottom.
The range is normally III - XVIII for all Tribals. I include here the bow of Warramunga, one of the Australian Tribals. There shouldn't be any difference between the Tribals in this respect.
Attachment:
WARRAMUNGA as fitted%2C June 43.jpg [ 41.48 KiB | Viewed 11513 times ]
The marks are welded onto the hull in relief plate. After painting of the ship, usually the letters are painted over in white on the black boot topping and below on the red antifouling. Above the waterline it depends on the colours: on a dark hull white is used, on a light hull black. With dark and light camo this may even switch at the colour demarcation. So not from a specific number, but depending on the background paint colour.
When the paint of a ship has been touched up, then the white/black to the markings are not always re-applied. This must be the case with the picture you included.