freeboard

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free·board

(frē′bôrd′)
n.
1. The distance from the water line to the gunwales of an open boat or to the main deck of a decked vessel.
2. The distance between normal water level and the top of a structure or mass that rises out of the water, such as a buoy, dam, or ice floe.
[Probably ultimately partial translation of Anglo-Norman franc bord, land claimed outside the fence of a park or forest : franc, free + bord, bort, border; see border.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

freeboard

(ˈfriːˌbɔːd)
n
(Nautical Terms) the space or distance between the deck of a vessel and the waterline
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

free•board

(ˈfriˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd)

n.
1. (on a cargo vessel) the distance between the uppermost deck considered fully watertight and the official load line.
2. the height of the watertight portion of a building or other construction above a given level of water.
[1670–80]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Translations

freeboard

[ˈfriːbɔːd] n (Naut) → bordo libero
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
But Jerry was to know Harley Kennan, and quickly, for it was Harley Kennan, a bowline around his body under his arm-pits, lowered by a couple of seamen down the generous freeboard of the Ariel, who gathered in by the nape of the neck the smooth-coated Irish terrier that, treading water perpendicularly, had no eyes for him so eagerly did he gaze at the line of faces along the rail in quest of the one face.
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"In the past, we've typically used a twocoat system on freeboards, but we enhanced efficiency by using Sherwin-Williams Fast Clad ER, a single-coat solution, on about 70 percent of the freeboard instead," Schultz said.
This undertaking included preserving and coating the freeboard, main deck, topside and more than 100 interior tanks, along with prepping and maintaining the underwater hull surface.
But unlike the current-generation TP 52 class yachts competing in the 52 Super-Series events in Europe, the Pac 52 has higher freeboards for livability below decks and less water on deck, and are built to meet Category 1 offshore safety regulations.
Record run: Thanks to perfect Pacific conditions, records tumbled in the one of world's great offshore racing events, the 2017 Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii
"The cattle boats were taken over by the Admiralty as they had low freeboards and straight-sided hulls so survivors could more easily climb up rescue nets."
WARTIME HERO AND FLEET REMEMBERED; Shipping LINES
Tankers are relatively slow and have low freeboards - the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level - which makes them easier to board.
Fuel pirates plague busy Southeast Asia shipping lanes
"All types of vessels with varying freeboards and speeds were targeted.
MARTIME PIRACY : REPORT: ATTACKS ON SHIPS RISE 11% WORLDWIDE IN 2008
All freeboards should be based on the water level at the maximum flow heights for which the embankments and spillways are designed.
Chapter 9 Water and sediment control structures