Your vessel displaces 585 tons and measures 128'L by 26'B. What is the reduction in GM due to free surface if the fish hold (30'L by 18'B by 9'D) is filled with 2.8 feet of water? (Each foot of water weighs 15.4 tons)

Correct Answer: Option A — 0.66 foot

Narrower compartments significantly decrease free surface penalties due to the breadth term being cubed in the moment of inertia calculation. For this smaller fish hold and 585-ton displacement, the resulting reduction in metacentric height is only 0.66 foot.