Question 52 ONC01 - Master/Chief Mate Unlimited Tonnage

The Correct Answer is A. **Why Option A is Correct:** The primary objective of shoring (the process of installing temporary structural supports, usually wooden timbers or metal beams) on a damaged bulkhead is to provide immediate, localized support. Shoring stabilizes the structure by distributing the load and preventing the damaged area, or the surrounding structure weakened by the damage, from collapsing further, warping, or moving under existing or potential stresses (like hydrostatic pressure or the movement of the ship). Therefore, shoring is used **to support and hold the area in the damaged position** until permanent repairs can be made or until the immediate threat is neutralized. **Why the Other Options are Incorrect:** * **B) To make a watertight seal at the damaged area:** Making a watertight seal is achieved through plugging, patching, and sometimes wedging (using materials like mattresses, plugs, or metal patches), not primarily through shoring. Shoring supports the structure supporting the patch, but it does not inherently create the seal itself. * **C) To force the warped, bulged, or deformed sections back into place:** While shoring applies pressure, its purpose is counter-intuitive bracing (holding *against* further movement or existing pressure), not reconstruction or forceful realignment. Attempting to force severely damaged metal back into its original shape using emergency shoring is ineffective and could cause further structural failure. * **D) To withstand subsequent additional damage:** Shoring is intended to support the damage that *has already occurred* and withstand the existing stresses (like water pressure). While an effective shore installation will help the ship survive future events, its immediate objective is stabilization against the current situation, not guaranteeing resistance to future, independent damage.