🔍 Key Concepts

• Reserve buoyancy – what parts of the ship contribute to buoyancy before they are flooded • How off‑center flooding affects transverse stability (GM) and may create a list or reduce righting arm • How a compartment floods through a side shell hole until an internal waterline matches the outside waterline (equilibrium flooding)

💭 Think About

• Look at where the hole is in Figure 1: is the flooded space on one side, and does it extend below the original waterline? How would that change the ship’s list and stability? • As water enters, will it keep rising forever, or will it stop once the inside water level equals the outside sea level? What does that say about equilibrium? • If that compartment is now full of water instead of air, is the ship gaining or losing usable buoyant volume above the waterline?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify that the shaded area is a damaged, flooded compartment on one side of the vessel – think about both weight added and buoyancy lost there • Consider whether this side flooding will lower GM (reduce transverse stability) or improve it – recall the effect of off‑center weight and free surfaces • Decide if filling this space with water causes a loss of reserve buoyancy, and whether the flooding will continue only until an equilibrium water level is reached