🔍 Key Concepts

• Angle of loll and what it indicates about a vessel’s stability • How a vessel with negative initial GM (metacentric height) behaves when heeled slightly • The difference between a vessel that is stable, unstable, or at neutral equilibrium

💭 Think About

• Think about what the righting arm (GZ) curve looks like just before the angle of loll is reached. Is the vessel being pushed back upright or further over? • If the vessel is already heeled close to the angle of loll, what happens to the balance of forces if it is nudged a little more to the same side? • Consider whether the vessel’s behavior near the angle of loll is gentle and self-correcting, or tends to move quickly toward a new position.

✅ Before You Answer

• Review that an angle of loll occurs when GM is slightly negative, not strongly positive. • Check whether a vessel just under the angle of loll has a tendency to seek a new equilibrium or to resist further heeling. • Make sure you distinguish between a slow change of heel and a catastrophic loss of stability (capsize).