Question 333Safety & Environmental - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is B) Transfer the fuel to lower the ship's KG and minimize the free surface effect. The reasoning is that the minimum required GM (Metacentric Height) for a vessel is 0.15 meters. If the vessel's GM is less than this value, the stability of the vessel is compromised. Transferring the fuel to lower the ship's KG (Center of Gravity) will increase the GM and minimize the negative impact of the free surface effect, which can further reduce the vessel's stability. Lowering the KG is the appropriate action to meet the regulatory requirement for minimum GM. The other options are incorrect because: A) Increasing the KG would further reduce the GM, which is the opposite of what is needed. C) Increasing the free surface effect would reduce the GM, which is undesirable. D) The minimum required GM is 0.15 meters, not 0.1 meters, so this option does not address the issue.