Pride of Baltimore Stabilit Story

Discussion in 'Stability' started by DCockey, Jun 3, 2012.

  1. DCockey
    Joined: Oct 2009
    Posts: 5,228
    Likes: 632, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 1485
    Location: Midcoast Maine

    DCockey Senior Member

    Roger Long has posted a fascinating story on the WoodenBoat Forum about his involvment with the Pride of Baltimore and its stability. http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?148218-Pride-and-Stability Roger Long is a retired naval architect who was heavily involved with "tall ships" and stability during the 1980's, designing several vessels as well as reaserch for a joint sail training industry and US Coast Guard task force on stability rules for sail training vessels, and being an expert witness and consultant to the British investigation into the loss of the Marques.

    The Pride of Baltimore, a reproduction of a Baltimore Clipper schooner was built in 1976-7 to a design by Thomas Gillmer. It capsized and sank with loss of the captain and three crew during a squall in the Atlantic in 1986. During the course of the research for the sail training industry and USCG prior to the loss of the Pride of Baltimore, Roger Long and his colleagues found a signficant discrepency in the stability curve for the Pride of Baltimore provided by Thomas Gillmer. Apparently the hydrostatics had been calculated as if the deck was at the top of the bulwarks rather than it's actual location which had a large effect on the angle of vanishing stability. Also there were questions about the accuracy of the height used for the stability calculations.

    Read Roger's posts on the WoodenBoat Forum for his complete story. You'll need to scroll through the thread to find them. http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?148218-Pride-and-Stability

    Roger also has web page about stability and sailing vessels: http://www.cruisingonstrider.us/Stability.htm
     
  2. Alik
    Joined: Jul 2003
    Posts: 3,074
    Likes: 357, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1306
    Location: Thailand

    Alik Senior Member

    Thanks, interesting reading.

    The approach they use showing intersection of stability curve and wind heeling moment is too theoretical and does not count dynamic heeling that is usually taken with factor 1.5 by the rules.
     
  3. DCockey
    Joined: Oct 2009
    Posts: 5,228
    Likes: 632, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 1485
    Location: Midcoast Maine

    DCockey Senior Member

    I think Roger's simple explaination was for a non-technical audience.
     
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.