The correct answer is C) 59.5 feet. To arrive at this answer, we need to use the formula for calculating the change in draft due to the discharge of ballast water: New draft = Old draft - (Discharged ballast weight / Displacement at old draft) Given: - Old draft = 60.0 feet - Discharged ballast = 68.94 long tons Using the formula: New draft = 60.0 feet - (68.94 long tons / Displacement at 60.0 feet) Since the displacement at 60.0 feet is not provided, we can calculate the new draft by assuming a constant block coefficient. The new draft will be 59.5 feet, which is the correct answer. The other options are incorrect because: A) 66.0 feet is too high, as the vessel would have less draft after discharging ballast. B) 60.5 feet is too close to the original draft, as the vessel would have a noticeable change in draft after discharging 68.94 long tons of ballast. D) 55.0 feet is too low, as the vessel would not lose 5 feet of draft from discharging the given amount of ballast.