As OOW assisting with the loading plan, you notice a dangerous goods container is proposed to be stowed near the accommodation block, adjacent to a class of cargo the segregation table says must be 'separated from' it. What should you do?

A. Proceed with the plan as given, since stowage planning is entirely the terminal's responsibility, not the ship's

B. Raise the segregation conflict before loading proceeds — check the segregation table requirement against the actual proposed positions, and escalate to the Chief Officer/Master so the stowage plan is corrected before the incompatible cargo is actually loaded, since correcting it becomes far more difficult once containers are stacked

C. Only escalate this if the dangerous goods happen to be Class 1 explosives

D. Move the container yourself immediately without informing anyone else

A. Only the Chief Engineer needs to consider this, never the deck watchkeeper

B. None — stability is fixed regardless of loading

C. Increased displacement generally raises the centre of gravity if weight is added high up, and free surface effects in partially-filled tanks can reduce the effective metacentric height (GM)

D. Additional weight always improves stability regardless of where it is placed

A. This only matters when the vessel is at anchor

B. Negligible — watertight doors below the waterline are rarely closed anyway

C. Only relevant if the vessel carries passengers

D. Significant — a failed watertight closure compromises the subdivision the vessel's damage stability calculations rely on, potentially allowing progressive flooding between compartments in the event of damage