Re: [bolger] deep keel thoughts

>I would suggest that a light catboat hull with the centerboard up would
>skitter away from a breaking wave...
>

I don't have any experience being offshore in heavy weather, but I
have a lot of experience with breaking waves.

The idea of a shallow bodied boat "skittering away" from the impact
of a breaking wave sounds nice. It might even happen from time to
time.

In my experience, it's always amazing how little of the offside of
the hull has to "catch" to allow the power of the wave to flip the
boat. You start to skitter away, then the boat catches just a little,
lifting the 'waveside' of the hull. This makes the 'awayside' dig
more, resulting in more lifting. Of course this all happens in the
blink of an eye. I think that's why boats, both shallow and deep, run
off when the seas get big enough to start breaking.

Speaking of breaking seas. We had an LPS move through last weekend
that was just awesome! In Block Island Sound the combined/contrary
effects of tide, wind and swell were causeing wave trains to stack up
and then explode 40 feet into the air. Shoal water in the sound was
breaking top to bottom, and 6 miles offshore waves were rearing up
and dumping on Montauk reef. I bet the wave faces were 20' plus.

YIBB,

David




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Reading a couple of books on the characteristics of "off shore" boats, and
I'm not sure I agree.

John Vigor seems to thing that the full length deep keel and narrow body
boat is the best at recovering from a knockdown. However, the
characteristics that make boats recoverable from a knockdown could also be
argued make it MORE LIKELY to happen.

Deep full keel and narrow bottom let the boat "trip" and roll sideways from
a breaking wave abeam...

I would suggest that a light catboat hull with the centerboard up would
skitter away from a breaking wave...

I know this is not a new idea.

Anybody care to comment?