46 C.F.R. § 178.450
Calculation of drainage area for cockpit and well deck vessels.
Cite as 46 C.F.R. § 178.450 (2026)
(a) The drainage area required on a vessel must be computed using the following formula:
For protected waters required drainage = .1 × Basic Drainage
For partially protected waters required drainage = .5 × Basic Drainage
For exposed waters required drainage = Basic Drainage
where:
Basic Drainage area in centimeters
2
= 4389.12 × [(Recess Volume × Recess Ratio) + (Weather Deck Volume × Weather Deck Ratio)]; or
Basic Drainage area in inch
2
= (Recess Volume × Recess Ratio) + (Weather Deck Volume × Weather Deck Ratio)
Recess Volume = (B
R
× D
R
) − V
R
B
R
= average height in centimeters (feet) of the bulwark above the well deck or cockpit deck;
D
R
= total deck area of the cockpit or well deck in the after
2/3
of the vessel length (LOD) measured in centimeters
2
(feet
2
).
V
R
= volume of any weather tight structure below the bulwark of the well deck or cockpit deck.
Recess Ratio = L
R
/ L
C
L
R
= the length of the recess in the after
2/3
vessel length (LOD).
L
C
=
2/3
vessel length (LOD).
Weather Deck Volume = (B
D
× D
D
) − V
S
B
D
= average height in centimeters (feet) of the bulwark above the weather deck;
D
D
= total deck area of the weather deck adjacent to bulwarks but not in way of the cockpit or well deck in the after
2/3
of the vessel length (LOD) measured in centimenters
2
(feet
2
).
V
S
= volume of any weather tight superstructure below the bulwark on the weather deck located within D
D
.
Weather Deck Ratio = L
D
/ L
C
L
D
= the length of the weather deck bulwark in the after
2/3
of the vessel length (LOD).
L
C
=
2/3
vessel length (LOD).
(b) Vessels with bulwarks in the forward part of the vessel shall not form a well with the deckhouse which retains water.
[CGD 85-080, 61 FR 966, Jan. 10, 1996; 61 FR 20557, May 7, 1996; USCG-2022-0323, 88 FR 10032, Feb. 16, 2023 ]