What statement is true concerning the construction of watertight bulkheads?

Correct Answer: Option A — The strakes of the bulkhead are horizontal and the stiffeners are vertical and the bulkhead must have increasingly greater strength towards the base.

Watertight bulkheads utilize horizontal strakes and vertical stiffeners to manage hydrostatic loads. Because pressure increases linearly with depth, the bulkhead plating and stiffeners must be designed with greater scantlings and strength toward the base to withstand the maximum hydrostatic head encountered during flooding scenarios.