What is applied if the bow height is less than the required minimum?

In stability and safety considerations for vessels, maintaining the required minimum bow height is crucial for ensuring adequate reserve buoyancy and reducing the risk of flooding in the forward part of the ship. If the bow height is less than the required minimum, this typically indicates a potential stability issue that could affect the vessel’s performance in waves or during maneuvering.

When the bow height is insufficient, increasing the final freeboard is necessary. Final freeboard is the vertical distance from the waterline to the upper deck at the side of the ship. By increasing the final freeboard, you are effectively enhancing the vessel's safety margin against water coming on board, which could occur in adverse weather conditions or during operations. This adjustment helps to ensure that the vessel maintains adequate stability and seaworthiness, thus addressing the deficiency created by the low bow height.

In essence, maintaining an adequate final freeboard is essential for operational safety, and making adjustments when the bow height is inadequate is a critical part of vessel management.