A simple, dumb question.

[Gator81]

Hello, all. I'm looking at the F-P site, admiring the photos and artwork. One piece in particular, I find to be a true work of art. This is the artist's rendering of the FP Lavezzi 40, in side view. But then I noticed something that has me completely baffled. I'm sure one of you wise folks can straighten me out directly.

At the waterline in the sketch, there are numbers. It starts with "1" at the bow and counts back in sequence to the stern, where "24" appears. This would appear to be a scale of length. But 24 (or more properly, 23, as a scale would start with 0 rather than 1) would fit for neither feet nor meters. Am I to understand some other unit of measure? Or is it not a scale at all, but some other convention used in the drafting of technical work for boats? Whatever the answer, I'm sure it's simple. (Like me! )

Oh, almost forgot. Here's a link: LAVEZZI 40

Hope all is well with y'all. And happy new year!