What are active fin stabilizers mainly designed to reduce while a cruise ship is moving?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: They reduce the ship's rolling motion
They reduce the ship's rolling motion ✓ — Right. Active fin stabilizers change their angle in moving water to create heeling moments that oppose roll. They need forward motion to develop lift, so they work while the ship is moving. The everyday analogy is underwater wings, not hidden outriggers holding the hull up.
They reduce the risk of capsizing in rough seas — Almost, but this overstates the fins. A ship's resistance to capsize comes from hull form, loading, initial stability, and the righting-arm curve. Fins are attitude-control devices for comfort and roll damping; they do not replace intact stability.
They reduce the ship's displacement and draft — No. Displacement and draft are set by the ship's weight, hull form, loading, and ballast. Stabilizers can add drag and control forces while underway, but they do not decide how deep the hull sits. The ship still obeys Archimedes' principle before the fins do anything.
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