Basic information on boats

Discussion in 'Stability' started by Guillermo, Nov 15, 2006.

  1. RHough
    Joined: Nov 2005
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    Location: BC Summers / Nayarit Winters

    RHough Retro Dude

    I like to think of myself as more knowledgeable than most sailors (don't we all?).

    I had never heard of STIX until I saw it on this forum. Not wanting to feel like an idiot, I searched for "STIX" ... and got "Did you mean STYX?" ... STYX? The river to hell? I don't want much of that on my boat! ... Oh STIX? Like Pick-up STIX? ...11 pages in I still know nothing about STIX in relation to boats ...

    If I search "boat stability index" I start getting some information including this page "Estimating Stability" ... now I'm found some terms I've Heard before ... D/L ratio; SA/D; ...;Capsize Risk (from the 1979 Fastnet study); Comfort Factor ...

    Four or five ratios and numbers that I'm semi-familiar with ...

    If the range and median values for other 30 foot boats were compared to mine I would know at a glance what to expect of my boat.

    STIX? No thanks, I'm not ready to cross to the underworld just yet ... :)

    Perhaps others have the same initial reaction to the name STIX as I?

    Perhaps STIX doesn't favour the boats that keep the factories busy building boats?

    Before the industry and designers will embrace a new evaluation formula it can't favour 40-50 year old designs over what sells and what has been proved to be "seaworthy enough".
     
  2. Kaa
    Joined: Oct 2006
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    Location: USA

    Kaa Wanderer

    Well, speaking of full information disclosure for boats I think something like this should be OK.

    I envision three levels of information available to boat buyers.

    Level one is very simple. It is, basically, the statement of the fact that the boat is certified to fit a certain standard and should be depicted as a logo. The certification (and the creation of open, published standards) should be carried out by non-government non-industry organization which should be set up for this purpose -- e.g. something like the Underwriters' Labs.

    As to the standards themselves, there should be several of them (less than 10, though). One possible idea is to take the existing EU system (A, B, C, D) of suitability to certain type of sailing and within each specify two safety classes -- let's call them Gold (extra-safe) and Silver(normally-safe). Thus a standard might be, for example, B-Silver. A boat which carries a B-Silver logo is certified to be safe (but not extra-safe) for offshore sailing.

    Note that I think this system should be voluntary -- that is, you should be able to sell boats which didn't pass the certification. However then you'd have no logo to display and would have to tell the buyers that the boat didn't pass any certification.

    The whole point of level one information is to be simple. If your Aunt Mabel goes batty and wants to take up sailing, you should be able to tell her to just buy any D-Gold boat and try it out :)

    Level two is a couple of sheets of technical data about the boat. The usual basics, plus the standard ratios, etc. These sheets should come with a free booklet explaining what the words and the numbers mean and what kind of trade-offs are involved.

    Level three is request for technical data from the builder which the builders would be obligated to answer unless it involves a trade secret. And no, making hulls out of pure CSM does not count as a trade secret, and neither does using cardboard as core X-). If this system comes to pass, I expect many websites with VERY detailed information about the popular boat models.

    Such a system I would consider reasonable.

    Kaa
     
    1 person likes this.

  3. Guillermo
    Joined: Mar 2005
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    Location: Pontevedra, Spain

    Guillermo Ingeniero Naval

    Interesting contribution Kaa. Could you please develope and specify what you call level two?
    Cheers.
     
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