Your vessel displaces 740 tons and measures 141'L by 34'B. What is the reduction in GM due to free surface if the fish hold (41'L by 30'B by 9'D) is filled with 2.5 feet of water? (Each foot of water weighs 35.1 tons)

Correct Answer: Option D — 3.18 feet

Calculating free surface reduction requires multiplying the hold length by the cube of the breadth, dividing by twelve times the displacement, and applying the specific gravity correction. This yields a substantial GM reduction of 3.18 feet, severely impacting the vessel's transverse stability reserve.