Explain that the GM is a useful guide to the stability of the ship

The GM (Metacentric height) is a useful guide to the stability of a ship because it is a measure of the
vessel's ability to resist capsizing or rolling excessively in rough seas. The GM is the distance between the
metacenter (M) and the center of gravity (G) of a floating vessel.

When a ship is at rest, the center of gravity is directly below the center of buoyancy (B), which is the
point at which the buoyancy force acts on the ship. When the ship is heeled over to one side, the center
of buoyancy shifts to the opposite side, creating a restoring moment that tends to right the ship. This
restoring moment is proportional to the GM, so the higher the GM, the greater the restoring moment
and the more stable the ship.

If the GM is too low, the restoring moment may not be sufficient to overcome external forces such as
wind and waves, and the ship may roll excessively or even capsize. On the other hand, if the GM is too
high, the ship may be too stiff and have a tendency to snap back to an upright position too quickly,
potentially causing damage or injury to crew and passengers.