Question 61 OSV02 - Mate - Offshore Supply Vessels

The Correct Answer is B **Explanation of B (Yawing):** Yawing is the angular movement of a vessel about its vertical axis (or 'Z' axis). When a ship is subjected to quartering seas (waves hitting the vessel diagonally from the stern/quarter), the unequal pressure on the hull can cause the bow to swing rhythmically from side to side off the intended course. This specific motion of swinging side to side off course is defined as yawing. **Explanation of why other options are incorrect:** **A) Broaching:** Broaching is a severe, dangerous condition where the vessel is turned violently sideways (beam-on) to the waves, often accompanied by heavy listing, loss of steering control, and the potential to capsize, particularly when surfing down a large wave. While a yawing vessel may lead to broaching, broaching itself is the catastrophic result, not the continuous side-to-side swing. **C) Rolling:** Rolling is the angular motion of a vessel about its longitudinal axis (fore-and-aft axis). This movement involves the ship tilting from side to side around its centerline (like rocking a cradle), but it does not describe the deviation or swinging of the bow off course. **D) Pitchpoling:** Pitchpoling is an extremely rare and severe event, typically only occurring in small, fast vessels or during massive storm conditions. It is the action of the vessel flipping end-over-end (bow goes under, stern follows) when moving down a steep wave face. It describes movement about the transverse axis but is a single, catastrophic event, not a continuous side-to-side swing off course.