Flooding Hull

[grp.boat]

Question....

if i build a 17' fishing boat. the stability of it is good but i think it could be better. if i was to build a channel say 10" wide x 6" high which was totally independant from the rest of the underfloor structure. and then have a 4" hole in the transom which leads to this cavity. this would allow nearly 150kg in weight of water to flood the under deck channel. there would be a vent at the bow to allow it to vent.

Would this improve the stabilty at rest???

I know it was succesfully done on avon searider ribs.

[Raggi_Thor]

Yes it would.
I think the Norwegian designer Jan Herman Linge patended this idea 40 years ago.

From http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5228407.html :

"In the latter case a deep hull is provided which, when the boat is near stationary, does not tend to float the pneumatic tubes out of, or up from, the water. The concept of the water ballast tunnel is shown in Norwegian patent 103822 issued in 1964 to Jan Linge. "

You can also read this thread :-)
Water Ballast for small boats