Metacentric Height

Metacentric height is a key measure of a ship’s stability, indicating how prone it is to overturning. It’s the distance between the ship’s center of gravity (where all weight is balanced) and its metacenter (a point related to the ship’s shape and buoyancy). If the metacentric height is larger, the ship is more stable and better able to return to upright after tilting. Conversely, a smaller or negative value means the ship is less stable or may capsize. Essentially, it quantifies the ship’s ability to stay balanced and resist toppling in rough seas.