Question 3484 Deck General

The correct answer is A) 2 hours. When a vessel like the DEEP DRILLER is under tow and threatened by heavy weather, the time required to ballast the vessel to its survival draft is typically around 2 hours. This is because the ballasting process to achieve the proper survival draft needs to be done quickly to ensure the vessel's stability and safety in the approaching heavy weather conditions. The other answer choices of 3, 4, or 5 hours would likely be too long and jeopardize the vessel's ability to properly prepare for the heavy weather in a timely manner. The 2-hour timeframe is the typical standard for this type of emergency ballasting operation to reach the survival draft.