shallow draft

/ˈʃæloʊ ˈdræft/
adjective
  1. (of a boat or ship) Designed to float in shallow water because it does not need much depth below the waterline.
    • The fishing village used shallow-draft vessels to navigate the sandbars near the shore.
    • Shallow-draft barges carried supplies up the shallow tributaries during the flood season.
    • A shallow-draft boat is perfect for exploring narrow rivers and coastal marshes.