Question 1948 Deck Safety

The correct answer is B) collect water to be pumped out. The purpose of a bilge well is to serve as a collection point for water that accumulates in the bilge of a vessel. This allows the water to be pumped out using the vessel's bilge pumps, preventing the buildup of excess water in the bilge, which could potentially lead to stability issues or damage to the vessel. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the primary purpose of a bilge well. A bilge well is not used to provide access for a pneumercator (A), establish a baseline for sounding measurements (C), or afford access to the shell through the double bottoms (D).