A new solution to rough water??

I am wondering how one of these Velodyne boats would compare against a cat with wave piercing bows?

 

We deliver quite a few SWATH stabilization systems. Some of the better designed vessels experience almost no motions at all, even in seas that are quite high relative to vessel size. There are a number of SWATH vessels in service as windfarm crew transfer vessels and a large 60-meter SWATH was recently launched in Turkey...it's a windfarm SOV.

 

Compliant suspension has better endurance for ocean ride than pneumatic or hydraulic suspension and there's no need of maintenance.

You can see videos in YouTube about compliant structures

Compliant suspension can be obtained with materials with good flexural characteristics like nylon reinforced fiber

However with hydrofoils you don't need suspension at all and the ride is smother

 

I did a search for "boats with compliant suspension", set the results to display images, and found--RIBs--which was pretty much what I expected.

I own a boat with compliant suspension: a Sevylor Tahiti Classic. First boat I owned, back in the '90s. Can't beat it for comfort, but can't make it go in a straight line, either. Tried to give it away for free to someone and they wouldn't take it.

 

I remember those...
Reminds me of the suspension arrangement on my mountain bike!!

 

The most obvious disadvantage of a hydrofoil is hitting a big log, barely awash.

 

You could engineer in "counter-measures", like shear pins, but the ability to foil would then be lost till repairs could be made.

 

I've seen some little video clips of those. Seems like a nice idea, but I'd question two things: the possibility for undamped oscillation feedback (because I don't see any damper on it), and their behavior under hard braking. It also looks like it would be heavier than a spoked bicycle wheel, and by its nature demands a longer (heavier) fork--which in turn could demand a redesign of the whole frame.

Every time I've seen someone reinvent the wheel, it always came with one or more problems that made it impracticable.

 

you are probably right.

 

No problems Brendan, thanks for that reply.