Hydrofoils - why not?

[ontheplane]

Found this clip whilst bored and browsing you-tube.

This thing is amazing - home built and quite famous - skip to 1 min+ for the good stuff, but look at how it crosses the wake of another boat - and perhaps more interestingly the almost total lack of wake. Now to me - no wake = almost no drag which suggests high efficiency?

So why don't more boats use foils?

 

[Bajansailor]

So why don't more boats use foils?

I think the answer is probably because they are costly, need more maintenance, and are more prone to damage (re appendages sticking out when berthing or anchoring).
And the advantage of improved fuel efficiency is probably not enough (generally) to overcome these disadvantages, unless the vessel is being used commercially (ie where annual usage is measured in thousands, rather than hundreds, of hours).

There is a good discussion on the Boat Design Forum re hydrofoil craft (also SWATHs and fast cats) here -
Back to the Future

These folk in Russia build motor yachts and glass bottom boats with hydrofoils -
PARITETBOAT | Glass bottom boats and high-speed yachts LOOKER

 

[vas]

slightly relevant, we do have an old russian lake "flying dolphin" doing a daily 120+nm trip to the local isles at 30+kn constant speed.
Diver who occasionally cleans my boat, explained to me that he spends a few hours every two or three weeks cleaning crustation and whatever else from foils and props, else thing wont lift up...
so, it's a high maintenance option

V.

 

[Bouba]

I think the problem is, do we want to be on a boaty forum or a low flying aircraft forum ?‍

 

[vas]

not an issue Bouba, we are here from 4-5kn up to 50odd (or more ) shouldn't discriminate the low flying guys since they'll still need to adhere to boating colregs et al.
I have to admit that foiling MiToS has crossed my mind, but a few more things to complete first

 

[Bouba]

not an issue Bouba, we are here from 4-5kn up to 50odd (or more ) shouldn't discriminate the low flying guys since they'll still need to adhere to boating colregs et al.
I have to admit that foiling MiToS has crossed my mind, but a few more things to complete first

I don’t think it would take you very long to knock up something like this....

 

[Mr Googler]

Could you write N2K code to control the guns?

 

[vas]

Could you write N2K code to control the guns?

yep, with custom NMEA2K sentences since the standard is not really up to the shooting task

V.

 

[Mr Googler]

yep, with custom NMEA2K sentences since the standard is not really up to the shooting task

V.

You’d find a way!