Ballast Tank

ships · water · balance · engineering

Keeps ships steady. Ballast tanks hold water inside a ship to make it stable and prevent it from tipping over. The weight of the water pushes down and keeps the ship balanced in the ocean.

Easy weight control. Instead of using heavy rocks or iron like old ships did, modern ships can pump water in or out of ballast tanks to quickly change how heavy they are. This makes it much easier for the crew to adjust the ship's weight.

Helps in shallow water. When a ship needs to go into shallow water where it might get stuck, the crew can pump out the ballast water to make the ship lighter and sit higher in the water.

Fixes tilting and sinking. Ballast tanks let crews balance a ship if it tilts to one side or if cargo is loaded unevenly. The water can be moved between different tanks to keep everything level and even.

Airships use them too. Even airships and blimps have ballast tanks to help them stay level and control how high or low they float in the sky.