Transverse stability is described as?

• A. Athwartships stability tending to keep the boat from rolling over (capsizing).
• B. Fore and aft stability preventing pitching.
• C. Longitudinal stability preventing yaw.
• D. Vertical stability preventing heeling.

Answer: (A)

Transverse stability refers to the boat’s ability to resist tipping from side to side, across the beam. It’s what helps keep the vessel upright when waves or wind push on the sides, reducing the risk of rolling or capsizing. The best description captures this sideways, athwartships stability and its role in preventing a roll-over.

Fore-and-aft stability deals with pitching along the length of the boat, not side-to-side tipping. Longitudinal stability would be about pitching as well (and is not about preventing yaw, which is rotation about the vertical axis). Vertical stability isn’t the term used here, and heeling is the side-to-side tilt that transverse stability specifically counters.