Question 1993 Deck Safety

The correct answer is A) metacenter. In small-angle stability, when external forces exist, the buoyant force is assumed to act vertically upwards through the center of buoyancy and through the metacenter. This is because the metacenter represents the point at which the buoyant force acts, and it is the point around which the vessel tends to rotate when a small angle of heel or list occurs. The other options are incorrect because the center of gravity is the point at which the weight of the vessel is considered to act, the center of flotation is the geometric center of the waterplane area, and the metacentric height is the distance between the metacenter and the center of gravity, which does not represent the point through which the buoyant force acts.