Nautical Term: Metacentric height (GM)

Definition of Metacentric height (GM)

Metacentric height (GM)) refers to the vertical distance between the metacentre, which is the point around which a floating body tends to rotate, and the centre of gravity as projected onto a transverse plane.

For instance, in a sailing vessel, determining the GM is crucial in evaluating the stability of the ship under different loading conditions. A larger GM indicates greater stability.

Explore other nautical terms:

Head back to the Nautical Dictionary