🔍 Key Concepts

• Windage and sail area of an inflatable liferaft compared to a rigid lifeboat • How shallow draft affects a craft’s ability to track straight and resist being set by wind and seas • The effect of hull/raft shape on steering and directional control

💭 Think About

• Think about which factor makes a floating object more likely to be blown sideways or downwind with little steering control. • Consider how a very shallow draft changes the way the water can ‘grab’ the hull or raft to help it maintain a course. • Ask yourself which single characteristic has the biggest practical impact on why an inflatable raft is harder to steer than a rigid lifeboat.

✅ Before You Answer

• Compare the exposed area above the waterline for liferafts vs. lifeboats. • Consider whether a shallow draft makes a vessel easier or harder to turn on command—and why. • Decide which option best explains why the raft drifts and weathervanes so easily in the wind.