Equilibrium of a Floating Vessel

angle of inclination

22.5

center of gravity G

0.67

When a boat of weight

W

floats in water, a fraction of its volume is submerged and displaces an equivalent volume of water. According to Archimedes' principle, the boat experiences a buoyancy force

B

equivalent to the weight of the water displaced;

B

is greater than the weight of the boat, making it float. To stabilize the boat, its center of gravity

G

must be as low as possible. When the boat tilts to one side, the center of buoyancy

C

(the center of mass of the displaced water) shifts. The "metacenter"

M

(in yellow) is the intersection of the vertical line through

C

and the axis of symmetry of the boat. If the tilt is not too great, the net force tends to right the boat. If

M

is below

G

, or the deck sinks below water level, the boat is likely to capsize.