sea kindly?

[TiggerToo]

What do you mean by "sea kindly"?

 

[SimbaDog]

Friendly to Sea Horses?

 

[Tranona]

What do you mean by "sea kindly"?

Shorthand intended to conjure up something that is "comfortable" at sea. Usually (but not always) associated with deep keels, heavy displacement boats that sit "in" the water rather than "on".

Complex subject on which whole books have been written trying to define what it means and what design features lead to it! Some even go as far as constructing a multivariable formula to turn the concept into a number.

All much too complicated so people use shorthand words because "everybody" knows what they "mean"!

 

[reginaldon]

The antithesis of mine in a short chop in the Straits.

 

[johnalison]

It means "slow"

 

[jamesjermain]

To use another generalisation - 'takes the seas well'.

A sea kindly boat:
Won't slam
Will have an easy motion - ie not too quick or too 'swoopy'
Won't hobby horse (much) in a short sea
Won't throw spray in excessive amounts over the people in the cockpit
Will keep going in conditions under which a less kindly boat will have to give up or at least bear off to regain some comfort
Won't broach unexpectedly down wind
Will track well upwind and down

It is not necesarily the same as being 'stiff' or 'directionally stable' though the three often go together

 

[johnalison]

To use another generalisation - 'takes the seas well'.

That description certainly covers what was considered necessary in a cruising boat in the past and could be applied to such as Nicholsons. Nowadays we tend to expect more speed, combined with a high volume and I have sometimes been impressed by the way quite light boats with a fine entry take themselves to windward when I am struggling with 5 tons and 10 metres.

 

[SailBobSquarePants]

It means "slow"

Only upwind...

Basically, "sea kindly" boats are heavy displacement boats, usually long or full keeled, usually with overhangs or rounded profiles at both ends - that is to say, they don't have the plumb bow or stern as many modern boats do. As such, they waste a good deal of waterline length, adversely affecting their maximum hull speed.

It also means that they tend to take the seas by parting them, rather than slamming into them (or being slammed if the waves are coming from behind). It also means they can have more beautiful, swooping lines that somehow just look right...

In addition, the mass of such a heavy boat means that it responds to the sea motion with great momentum...it doesn't dart, shake, or twitch as much. This is true under sail, and doubly true at anchor. Consider this - my Nic 32 has 3 tons of lead at the bottom of my keel, distributed down the length of the boat. It takes a LOT to move her...

A "sea kindly" boat with a full keel lacks the high-aspect appendage of more modern designs, limiting it's hydrodynamic efficiency upwind. They don't point into the wind as high, by around 3-5 degrees. They also make more leeway upwind.

On the other hand, they don't "trip" on their keels when surfing off a large wave, meaning they are less prone to broaching in storm conditions than more modern designs. Perfect for bluewater cruising where you don't really know what you may face out there...or even the Solent some days!

 

[johnalison]

I entirely agree, but my 2 tons of lead (40%) will not only sail 5 deg or more closer than yours but do 6 knots in the process. The force of cutting into the waves is inevitably going to be greater, though my bow sections are much narrower and my boat is on the comfortable side for a 20 yr old design.

My original disparaging remark was referring to the way "sea-kindly" has been used in a version of estate-agent speak to excuse some old and rather poor designs - not Nics of course.

 

[Duffer]

A good thing for offshore boats. They tend to need a bit of wind to get going and usually they are tricky to reverse compared to modern AWBs.

 

[Kilter]

What do you mean by "sea kindly"?

Wave and smile!