Which risk increases with improper placement of ballast stones within wooden 18th century ships?

💡 Explanation

When ballast is improperly placed, the ship's center of gravity ('G') shifts relative to its center of buoyancy ('B'), which reduces the ship's metacentric height, weakening the righting moment. Therefore the risk of capsize increases, rather than rudder jamming, sail tearing, or cargo spoilage, which entail completely different failure mechanisms.

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