Question 160Safety & Environmental - Assistant Engineer

The correct answer is A) maintain good stability. Excessive free surface in liquid cargo tanks can have a significant negative impact on a vessel's stability. When liquid cargo sloshes around in a partially filled tank, it creates a free surface effect that can rapidly shift the vessel's center of gravity and reduce its overall stability. This can make the vessel more prone to heeling, capsizing, or other stability-related incidents. Maintaining good stability is crucial for the safe operation of the vessel, which is why avoiding excessive free surface in liquid cargo tanks is an important consideration. The other answer choices are incorrect because: B) maintaining hog and sag is not directly related to the issue of free surface; C) preventing oil pollution, while important, is not the primary reason for avoiding excessive free surface.