Cargo tonnage verification helps determine which of the following?

• A. All of the above
• B. Stability
• C. Draft
• D. Stress

Answer: (A)

Accurate cargo tonnage is used in stability, draft, and strength assessments. When you know the actual weight and how it’s distributed, you can verify the ship’s stability margins by checking how the center of gravity and metacentric height are affected, preventing excessive heel, trim, or loss of stability. The weight also directly changes displacement, so confirming cargo tonnage lets you predict the vessel’s draft and ensure it stays within approved limits and under-keel clearance, while also accounting for trimming fore and aft. Finally, the load distribution influences hull girder stresses and local stresses along the hull; precise tonnage data feed into bending moment and shear calculations to keep structural limits safe. Because cargo tonnage verification informs all three areas, it covers stability, draft, and stress.