← MeoMock / Written exams
Class 4 (4th Engineer) SC&S 📅 Aug 2023

Exam Question

A box barge 25 m long and 4 m wide floats in fresh water at a draught of 1.2 m and has an empty mid length compartment 5 m long. The bottom of the barge is lined with teak (rd 0.805) 120 mm thick. After grounding all the teak is torn off and the centre compartment laid open to the sea. Calculate the final draught. (16)

Reference Answer

### Principle of Calculation
This problem is solved by considering two distinct events occurring simultaneously after the grounding:
1. **Change in Mass:** The teak lining is torn off, resulting in a reduction of the barge's total mass. This will cause an initial decrease in draught.
2. **Loss of Buoyancy (Bilging):** The mid-length compartment is laid open to the sea. According to the 'Lost Buoyancy' method, the volume of buoyancy provided by this compartment up to the waterline is lost. To compensate for this loss, the remaining intact parts of the vessel must sink deeper, increasing the draught.

Full answer on MeoMock — surveyor-grade reference answers for 7,000+ written exam questions.

View plans Browse library

← Browse more questions

Prepare on Android — MeoMock on Google Play