In one sense, a ship may be considered as a
system of weights. If the ship is undamaged and
floating in calm water, the weights are balanced and
the ship is stable. However, the movement of weight
on the ship causes a change in the location of the
ship’s center of gravity, and thereby affects the
stability of the ship.
Figure 12-9 shows how an INCLINING
MOMENT is produced when a weight is moved
outboard from the centerline of the ship. If the object
weighing 20 tons is moved 20 feet outboard from the
centerline, the inclining moment will be equal to
400 foot-tons (F x d, or 20 x 20).