Also, be aware of the "Free Surface Effect" of partially filled tanks. It's been a factor in at least one occasion of a vessel capsizing. It includes but is not limited to fish holds. Partially filled fuel and water tanks can also affect load stability.
The Cap Rouge II, a very sad story. I knew the owner of this boat. He lost his daughter and grand children in this catastrophe.
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2002/m02w0147/m02w0147.asp#a3
"2.3 Operational Practices and Awareness of Risks
The TSB has observed that many crews on fishing vessels do not fully appreciate that some of their day-to-day operating procedures may create unsafe conditions. A number of practices were observed that carried risks which were either not fully recognized or were accepted by the skipper. For example, the skipper considered the Cap Rouge II to be a ‘wet boat', indicating that it was not unusual to see water on deck or to have to pump out the lazarette. Water accumulating on the main deck and also downflooding contributes to a free surface effect and thus adversely affects the stability of the vessel. Operation of the vessel with the holds partially filled indicates that, like most commercial fishers, the skipper did not fully understand the risks associated with free surface effect.
A vessel's capability to remain safely upright requires its operator to have a sound understanding of the principles of ship stability and to apply them in a manner which takes into account the constantly changing circumstances both on board a vessel and in the surrounding environment. For example, it is necessary to monitor changes in the quantity and location of liquids held in fish hold tanks, fuel tanks, freshwater tanks and oil tanks. It is also necessary to decide on the safest manner of stowing fish product and fishing gear, including nets, to assess the configuration of standing rigging, such as a boom, and to determine the safest manner of transporting a skiff. Knowledge of existing external factors such as sea state, wind characteristics, and under-keel salinity is also extremely important."
Jim
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