Final answer:
Jettisoning cargo overboard is a common practice in situations where a ship is at risk of sinking. This is done to reduce the ship's weight and increase its chances of staying afloat.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jettisoning cargo overboard is a common practice in situations where a ship is at risk of sinking. This is done to reduce the ship's weight and increase its chances of staying afloat.
The act of jettisoning cargo can be crucial in saving the ship and the lives of those on board. In the given passage, the captain and the crew of the dingey are facing a shipwreck, and they resort to throwing cargo overboard in order to improve their chances of survival.