🔍 Key Concepts

• Basic buoyancy – how a vessel’s draft changes when it loses vs. gains water weight • Observable signs of flooding or loss of cargo on a barge after a collision • Difference between a barge listing (leaning) and riding higher or lower in the water

💭 Think About

• If a barge’s hull is breached and it is actually sinking, would you expect it to ride higher or lower in the water? Why? • What does a list to one side usually tell you about how weight (like water or cargo) is distributed inside the hull? • Which option describes a change that is most directly tied to the barge’s own buoyancy, not just the towboat’s handling or wire tension?

✅ Before You Answer

• Compare which choices indicate the barge is losing buoyancy versus just changing how it is being towed • Ask yourself which condition would most likely appear after a collision causing flooding in one part of the barge • Be sure the indicator is about the barge’s condition itself, not about your tugboat’s performance or towing gear