Question 617 Deck Safety

The correct answer is C) sound all tanks. Sounding all tanks is one of the first actions a captain should take when their vessel runs aground. This allows the captain to assess the integrity of the vessel's hull and determine if any tanks have been breached or are taking on water. Knowing the status of the tanks is critical for maintaining the vessel's stability and structural integrity in a grounding situation. The other answer choices are not the best initial actions. Pumping out double bottoms could destabilize the vessel, backing engines full astern could further damage the hull, and applying RPM to one propeller would not provide useful information about the grounding situation. Sounding tanks provides the most essential information for the captain to properly respond to the grounding incident.