Hull speed Formula?

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M

Marc

what is the formula for calculating the theoretical hull speed? I remember something like 1.7 x Sq. Root of LWL (in Feet) does this sound right? Thank you, Marc
 
J

John Visser

Yes

From http://www.magma.ca/~tanzer22/faq.htm#HullSpeed Hull Speed What is the maximum speed of a Tanzer 22? The short answer: 6. The longer answer: use the magic formula for displacement hulls... V=1.34(L)^0.5 (ie, square root of waterline length) with V in knots and L in feet. Keep in mind it's only theoretical. The 1.34 coefficient is approximate, as it was derived from observation of full-keeled wooden boats, and can vary from 1.20 to 1.8 depending on hull shape as there are lots of other factors that can come into play. Heeling, for example, will lengthen waterline length, but there's also induced drag, yawing, eddy formation, wave making, transom separation, and other rather frightening things to throw the estimate off. The T22 has a waterline length of about 19.75 ft, so an approximate displacement hull speed is 5.96 knots. Since the T22 hull is flat on the after part of the hull's wetted surface ("flat buttocks"), it likes to surf and even plane given the right conditions. A boat's hull speed is by no means a speed limit. It is simply the point at which the boat begins to lose power by climbing its own bow wave. It should be used as a guideline only. The ultimate speed of the boat depends only on how much power you can generate with the sails given a fixed hull design. The added drag because of the effect of the bow wave increases until it reaches a maximum at twice the hull speed... the Tanzer who was going 11 knots was close to this point. This is the point you see a motorboat go through during acceleration when the bow is pointing at the sky. After that, the effect lessens again until at very large speeds it disappears entirely. Of course, by this point you are clearly "planing", which is another way to reduce the hydrodynamic drag of a boat by reducing the displacement and surface area.
 
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