MurrayM
Guru
Found the article linked below by Michael Kasten very interesting.
While there is no 'perfect boat', just one with the least amount of compromises for each particular owner, I find his reasoning to be parallel with mine...more inherent seaworthiness and efficiency, less bloat and height.
Here's a bit from the article "The Ideal Passagemaker" by Michael Kasten to whet your appetite;
The Ideal Passagemaker?
Expect no solution to be agreed upon, as in "what constitutes great art", but thought the discussion could be interesting...
While there is no 'perfect boat', just one with the least amount of compromises for each particular owner, I find his reasoning to be parallel with mine...more inherent seaworthiness and efficiency, less bloat and height.
Here's a bit from the article "The Ideal Passagemaker" by Michael Kasten to whet your appetite;
Questioning Our Design Goals
Given the incentive to do so, one can very certainly design an excellent displacement vessel that is both very efficient, and readily able to exceed the normally considered "limit" of S/L 1.34. Given the right approach to hull form, this can be achieved with relatively low power, and without having to resort to some of the less desirable features of a semi-displacement hull form.
How shall we do this?
Long length, light displacement, narrow beam, a fine entry and a long fine run are the primary ingredients, along with the other usual requirements such as having the correct prismatic.
Of course, you'll not find many "modern" power boats like this.
Why?
Furniture, picture windows, features, gadgets, spare staterooms, systems, backup systems, etc... all within the shortest possible boat length to fit at the dock. In order to achieve vast accommodation space within the shortest possible length, the boat must then become overly tall and wide in order to contain all the desired features.
The inevitable result is that the vessel must then have an enormous hull volume for her waterline length, or an overly large superstructure.
The unfortunate consequence of this trend is that a great deal of extra power and additional fuel are required to propel all of this through the water, often with relative inefficiency. On top of that, we are expected to believe that bow bulbs, squirrel cheeks, maintenance strakes and all manner of other appendages will magically recover some of what has been lost to an over-bloated shape.
By now, you may have discerned that I find this trend somewhat distressing...
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What to do?
First, a boat can usually be made to require less power and less fuel at the same speed and displacement by simply making the boat longer.
With some hull types, one can use the same power and get greater speed just by lengthening the boat, and without losing actual displaced volume or giving up accommodation space. If by proper design the boat can also be made lighter in the process, the overall result while voyaging is that the lighter, longer, narrower boat will reach her destination in fewer days, having used much less fuel.
In other words, the relatively lighter, longer, leaner boat can be fitted with a smaller engine, will require less fuel for the same passage, and will usually allow more boat for the money.
Interestingly, this does not imply a reduction in luxury! Quite the opposite!
The Ideal Passagemaker?
Expect no solution to be agreed upon, as in "what constitutes great art", but thought the discussion could be interesting...