OUPV & 100-Ton Master · Stability — Reserve Buoyancy / Freeboard

Adequate freeboard on a small passenger vessel is important because it provides:

Explanation

Freeboard — the distance from the waterline to the deck edge — is reserve buoyancy. Too little freeboard means the deck edge immerses at small angles of heel or with added load, risking downflooding and loss of stability. Overloading reduces freeboard and is a leading capsize factor.

Authority: 46 CFR Part 178; stability principles

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