i need a little help in boat design

[tom9490]

hi, i have a math project due at the end of the quarter, i chose the subject of the mathematics involved in boats. so it would be great if anyone could point me in any direction focused on the mathmatical aspect of boats or could suggest a specific aspect of boats that involve math

[alan white]

Dave Gerr wrote a very simple to understand book "The Nature of Boats".
In it he explains how the mathematics of boat design predict how a design will perform. I've seen more technical books, but few are as readable and as comprehensive. Many formulas are shown, as well as a lot of drawings and common sense explanations.

Alan

[tom9490]

thank you

[timgoz]

Hi Tom,

I'll second the recommendation for Gerr's book.

Welcome to the forum.

Take care.

TGoz

[tom9490]

thank you

[tom9490]

any link to a site with a ton, or even a little math would help though, the libray wont have most books and im not exactly looking to spend money on books (even if they are good),but mabey if there isnt enough info online.

[alan white]

You could do something as simple as a means to figure a typical displacement (non-planing) hull's maximum speed potential in knots based on the square root of the waterline length times 1.34. provide the hypothetical maximun power needed to reach hull speed (e.g., 13.4 kts for a 100 ft waterline).
Divide the power in half, and show how fast the boat will go (hint--- a lot faster than half hull speed---- why?).
Explain all this as a phenomenon where waves one hundred feet apart trap a 100 ft vessel between them, and those waves are produced on smooth water by the movement of the boat itself.
Show how a still photo of any displacement vessel from the air can be analyzed to show how fast it was going because of the distance between the waves it's creating relative to the boat's length. Do mid-ocean waves one hundred feet apart move at 13.4 knots? What is a knot?
All of this is available here and there by googling it. Put it together into an understandable presentation. It won't cost you a cent, but you'll learn a lot.

alan

[Trevlyns]

You may also want to look up “Simpson’s Rule” which has long been used in the calculation of volume displacement in irregular shapes like boats hulls.

[tom9490]

the still photo idea is fantastic
thats is a good idea thnks a lot
infact that would be a simple outline to research and use, i do have a lot of info as is but thats a great way to demonstrate the math

[yipster]

pitty its only the start of the book but a good read nevertheless “The nature of boats” by Dave Gerr