In 2019, the 200-meter Roll-on/Roll-off vehicle carrier Golden Ray departed Freeport, Texas, carrying thousands of vehicles on board. Operating across 15 decks with a displacement exceeding 71,000 metric tons, the massive ship was soon notified of Hurricane Dorian approaching across the Caribbean.
To prepare for rough seas and heavy weather, the crew loaded an additional 1,500 tons of seawater ballast into lower double-bottom tanks. Adding weight low down in the hull lowered the vessel's center of gravity, significantly enhancing transverse stability before navigating near the storm zone.
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