Michael Daly wrote:

On 26-Aug-2003, Peter wrote:


The air tanks under the
seats of the dinghies I sailed were "built into the sides of those boats to
improve stability and prevent sinking"


How do they improve stability if they are inside the hull?

I was quoting the dictionary so I didn't modify their wording. I thought
it was clear that the authors meant that both the improved stability and
resistance to sinking applied under the condition that the boat was
flooded. Afterall that's the only time that flotation tanks become functional.