If your tank vessel is loaded down to her marks with too much trim by the stern, what action should you take to obtain an even keel?

To achieve an even keel on a tank vessel that is overly trimmed by the stern, adding ballast forward is a sound corrective action. When a vessel has excessive trim by the stern, it means that the stern is lower in the water than the bow. This imbalance can affect the vessel's handling, stability, and safety.

Adding ballast forward will increase the weight at the bow, which helps to counteract the stern-heavy condition. By redistributing weight to the forward part of the vessel, the trim can be adjusted to bring the vessel back to an even keel.

While other options like loading more cargo forward or shifting bunkers forward can also help in some scenarios, they may not be as effective as directly adding ballast. Simply discharging cargo midships could potentially complicate the situation, as it does not specifically address the trim issue; instead, it may lead to an uneven distribution that could worsen the situation.