Question 276Safety & Environmental - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is D) Heave. Heave is the vertical up-and-down motion of a vessel, which directly affects its positional stability. This is because the vessel's center of gravity moves up and down relative to the water, impacting the stability and balance of the vessel. The other motions listed - surge (forward/backward), sway (side-to-side), and pitch (bow up/down) - do not directly impact the vessel's positional stability in the same way as the heaving motion.