Question 15General Subjects - Assistant Engineer

The correct answer is B) Ballasting is the operation associated with draining ballast tanks to compensate for loading cargo. Deballasting refers to the process of removing or draining ballast water from a ship's ballast tanks. This is necessary when a ship is loading cargo, as the added weight of the cargo causes the ship to sit higher in the water. Draining the ballast tanks, or deballasting, helps to maintain the proper trim and stability of the vessel. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the meaning of deballasting. Redistributing ballast water to correct for hogging, sagging, or list (options A and D) are related to ballasting operations, but not specifically deballasting. Option C, filling ballast tanks to compensate for off-loading cargo, is the opposite of deballasting.