Re: [Paddlewise] Speed vs. efficiency

From: merijn wijnen <merijn_at_music.demon.nl>
Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 22:41:54 +0200
Hi all, 

The hull speed formula is an interseting one to determine the 
maximum speed for displacement hulls. But keep in mind it is only 
an approximation. It is a good one for not to slender hulls with a 
pronounces bow and stern, like a lot of sailing yachts. It is a much 
less good approximation for slender hulls. Hulls with a length to beam 
ratio  (at waterline) above 8 can go faster in displacement mode 
than calculated by the formula. Another point is that the for-aft 
distribution of displacement (prismatic coefficient) changes the hull 
speed of the boat. Boats with very fine ends have a lower hull speed 
that boats with the same water line length and fuller ends. This is 
becuase the fuller ends increase the distance between the bow and 
stern wave. So just mounting two feet of razor blade at the bow and 
stern of your boat increases the water line length, but not the hull 
speed. It does affect handling, however.... 

And like mentioned by others, at speeds below hull speed the skin 
friction is more important that just the water line length. 

For people that are interested in this stuff I can recomend Marchaij's 
"The aero and hydrodynamics of sailing". It is a kind of bible for the 
design of sailing craft and contains a lot of interesting information on 
hull design. 


Greetings, 


Merijn Wijnen 

******************************
Merijn Wijnen
Vinkenhofje 8
5613 CN Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Tel.: 040-2939991          (job: 040-2650539)
Fax:  same as tel., call before sending or try twice
E-mail: Home: merijn_at_music.demon.nl
        Job:  m.wijnen_at_ind.tno.nl
Web-site: http://www.music.demon.nl

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Received on Mon May 14 2001 - 13:45:23 PDT

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