Best design for Heavy Seas.

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Ozymandias, Dec 24, 2015.

  1. Ozymandias
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    Ozymandias Ozymandias

    I am flat lander from Kansas and need a little advice but I am not completely stupid thanks to the USN. Looking for the the best design or combination of designs for a boat that must first withstand rough seas and Hurricanes at any cost but is manuverable and I know one must consider speed in this equation too. I am a recreational builder but I also do not consider boat building to be a hobby. Any advice, articles, peer friendship and "even you're nuts or daft to build one" would be appreciated.
     
  2. Ad Hoc
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    Ad Hoc Naval Architect

    Hi Ozymandias

    WElcome to the forum.

    This is an easy question. The best type of hull form for rough weather is a Swath...

    S....small
    W...waterplane
    A...area
    T...twin
    H...hull

    SWATH
     
  3. Ozymandias
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    Ozymandias Ozymandias

    swath

    Thank you, very much.sir. I had a feeling I was leaning in the right direction. Makes sense to me. That was the design area I was headed for. Thank you for the Welcome too.
     
  4. TANSL
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    TANSL Senior Member

    I'm not going to question here the characteristics of a SWATH type vessel but I would point out that lifeboats, closed, self-righting, support quite well rough seas and Hurricanes. Under these extreme conditions the pure speed is less important.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
     
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  5. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    My understanding is the USN maintains an expensive weather forecasting and reporting system to avoid, as far as possible, having to "withstand rough seas at any cost", so in my opinion you have set the bar way too high for a small recreational effort.
     
  6. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Welcome to the forum.

    Size is the real key to suit your "meet and sea and win" mentality. Frankly, this isn't practical in pleasure craft.

    Given your requirements any suggestion is pointless without a well defined SOR, as taking on hurricanes in pleasure boats, isn't for the faint hearted. I've survived 5 hurricanes aboard relatively small craft, only lost one, with two other badly beaten, but they survived, all before GPS and modern weather prediction, which has come leaps and bounds in the last few decades. Even thinking about taking on a hurricane, in what most would consider typical sizes for pleasure craft, is frankly insanity or possibly blissful ignorance. Also, (again) maneuverability in a hurricane is wishful at best. You're driving to save your butt, before you're too exhausted to continue (the biggest issue in pleasure craft and rough seas). You may want to go south, but are forced to go east for 2 or three days and maneuverability is survival instinct, more so than vessel ineptitude.

    Simply put, refine your parameters a bit (read a lot): length, draft, weight, propulsion, hull form(s) envisioned, general use, general accompaniment, general accommodation, typical sea state you'll encounter. In a nutshell, trying to design a vessel that can take on any eventuality, is just asking to have every design concession and compromise tested to failure. It can be done, but it will cost ten times as much as a similar size and equipped vessel and likely will be equally as slow comparatively, because you're carrying around all the "just in case" stuff, that will only get used a small fraction of a single percent of the boats life span. It's one thing to have cohunas and another to have to heft the damn things around, when it's a nice pleasant day.
     
  7. FAST FRED
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    FAST FRED Senior Member

    To survive any weather a Coke bottle comes to mind , but the ride may stink.
     
  8. kach22i
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    kach22i Architect

  9. Ad Hoc
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    Ad Hoc Naval Architect

    kach22i

    Anything is possible.

    And as noted by the varying replies above all different views on the same thoughts. Reason being, with such a broad brush statement anything is possible since there is no firm fixed objective other than a throw away comment without any thought. Thus the varying replies from different perspectives.
     
  10. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Fast Fred nailed it, there are solutions where the vessel will reliably survive, but those on board might very much wish they were elsewhere. It is better to dodge most kinds of trouble rather than take it head-on.
     
  11. FAST FRED
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    FAST FRED Senior Member

    " It is better to dodge most kinds of trouble rather than take it head-on."

    That takes the question to seamanship , the best technique to survive in a particular style vessel if caught out.

    Of course the vessel should be created to survive rough weather if handled well..

    And the decision as to what is seaworthy can be found by reading of voyages past in a vessel similar to the style of your dreams.

    Size requires massive structure (and cost) , remember a number of 25ft Folk Boats have circumnavigated , but I expect none went looking for F 12.
     
  12. Ike
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    Ike Senior Member

    As PAR said you need to better define what you are looking for. If survivability is your only criteria then you should just buy a surplus Coast Guard 44 ft motor lifeboat.
     
  13. viking north
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    viking north VINLAND

    Motor power alone is not good, man made moving parts and fuel are prone to problems but combined with sail you have a most reliable backup. My choice would be a well designed double ended motorsailer.
     
  14. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Powerboats have been working the oceans for well over a century. Sailing ships had more man made moving parts than any steam ship ever made.
     

  15. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    There's lots of choices, none of which we can really answer (yet), though you can bet we'll have considerable opinions about most of them. It would seem he's satisfied with the idea of building a SWATH, right out of the box, which I think is insane (no offence John), without a significant amount of building experience (more than that of a recreational builder) and a well versed design. With the exception of a handful of really costly military or corporate endeavors, how many SWATH designs, let alone capable designers of SWATHs are out there, let alone for the recreational builder?
     
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