🔍 Key Concepts

• Seaworthiness as the fitness of a vessel to carry the intended cargo safely • What conditions directly affect a vessel’s stability, buoyancy, and structural safety • The legal meaning of prima facie evidence in cargo/charter party disputes

💭 Think About

• Which option most clearly creates a direct risk to the ship’s safety and stability, rather than just a commercial or paperwork problem? • Which situation would be visible and measurable at the time of loading, making it easy to prove in court as clear evidence? • Ask yourself: which condition, by itself, could make a vessel unsafe to proceed to sea, even before considering weather or navigation?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choice directly affects displacement, draft, and stability of the vessel • Distinguish between commercial/contractual issues and physical safety/seaworthiness issues • Consider which condition a surveyor or port state control officer would immediately flag as a safety violation before sailing