Marine Surveyors Lexicon

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G - (Center Of Gravity)


Is the center of mass of the vessel and the point through which the weight of the vessel and all cargo and other material on board acts vertically downward. The position of the center of gravity varies in three dimensions with the amount and placement of weights in the ship. The vertical position of the center of gravity is a critical factor in transverse stability. The height of the center of gravity above the keel (KG) for specific conditions of loading may be found in the Report of Inclining Experiment or the Trim and Stability Booklet. The depth of the hull multiplied by 0.60 gives an initial estimate of KG that is accurate enough in most ships for initial salvage calculations.