a)

Timber, including timber deck cargo: 0.10m

Grain: 0.30m

General cargo: 0.15m

b)

General cargo vessel: This may be considered as a bassline vessel.

Vessel carrying timber, including timber deck cargo: Timber is inherently buoyant and has a low
permeability. The low permeability of cargo means less ship sinkage and a smaller loss in ship
stability post bilging. The timber deck cargo also provides an effective increase in reserves of
buoyancy and an effective increase in freeboard. The effective increase in freeboard and reserve
buoyancy causes a general improvement in all stability measures except for GM. The vessel’s KG
may be notably high, and the GM therefore notably low because of the cargo on deck. However,
overall, stability is likely to be better than that on the baseline vessel, hence the reduced minimum
effective GM.

Vessel carrying grain in bulk: Grain is prone to shifting. A shift in grain will cause list. A shift of grain
in one hold is likely to cause shifting of grain in other holds, possibly resulting in a dramatic angle of
list. All stability measures, except for GM and DEI, are reduced by list. Hence to counter reduction
in stability in the event of grain shift, vessel’s carrying grain are required to have a larger minimum
effective GM than the baseline.

c)

The natural roll period of a ship is largely a function of it’s GM and radius of mass gyration. Natural
roll period is proportional to radius of mass gyration, and inversely proportional to GM.

The GM and radius of mass gyration are likely to vary significantly with cargo type carried.

The vessel carrying timber deck cargo is likely to have the highest radius of mass gyration, and the
lowest GM, resulting in the longest natural roll period.

The general cargo vessel and vessel carrying grain may have a similar radius of mass gyration, in
which case it will be the difference in GM driving the difference in natural roll period. More context
is required to make a judgment on whether the grain carrying or the general cargo carrying ship will
have the longest natural roll period.