What would you spend R&D cash on for future Mobo's

[hobiecat]

Re: What would you spend R&D cash on for future Mobo\'s

How do novices end up buying large engined planing boats for use on the Thames?. To see them struggling through locks makes me cry and can only serve to put them off boating for good. Wont help when they pick up the servicing bills either. Only other point I would make is that cats cost more to build for a given length -a 30ft narrow beamed cat has around 50-60% more hull surface area and therefore more fibreglass. Good cats are lightweight and composite construction which also costs more. Savings are to be had on the engines and production teams are getting better at reducing the labour costs involved in building them.

 

[oldgit]

Its short n wide or long n skinny or a bit of either .

Suspect that all the major hull advances were prob evolved ages ago 1.The speeds attained by boats attempting the world records shown that planing hulls could be designed to go fast 100 years agnly the advances in engine power gave greater speeds along with aerodynamics to keep the thing on the ground.
Hull is long and thin for speed ie The Parsons boat Turbinia or round and tubby for space.Ever single variation on this must have been tried by now.
Ok you can step the hull or inject air to do stuff to the water/hull interface but surely the basic shape cannot be altered to acheive one thing without losing out somewhere else. ?

 

[hobiecat]

Re: Its short n wide or long n skinny or a bit of either .

Cats are developing because they perform much better if they are built light (do not confuse with strong). Light composite materials are relatively new. Cats are more complex because there is interaction between the hulls. For example, changing the beam effects boats weight and the amount of air forced between the hulls. This effects the amount of lift which varies at different speeds and therefore ultimate comfort (ie cushioning for comfortable ride). There is a whole lot more physics going on.

 

[boguing]

Re: Its short n wide or long n skinny or a bit of either .

Generally speaking you're absolutely right, the VSV is really just a development on Turbinia in terms of being long and slim.

There have been one or two new ideas within the last few decades though - the SWATH (small waterplane twin hull - don't ya just love the acronyms naval architects come up with) is a clever one. Imagine two torpedoes and you stand a bridgedeck on thin legs upon them. If you ballast it correctly waves just pass through almost unnoticed. Bit like a semi-sub oil rig. Make a really good camera platform.

Where there is a definite possibilty (!?) is in computational fluid dynamics. The world of foil design (wings, keels rudders) has leapt now that it's coming of age. I think we might see more than just a little tweaking, some radical speed gains, but tempered with the constraints of dynamics (pitching in particular). The planing hull (as we know it) may be more or less fully developed, but the displacement, semi-displacement and 'undefined' very very long slim should benefit from research.

I could tell you the whole story of how a drag reduction of nigh on 20% was achieved on a patrol boat hull, just because a mate and I thought a mod "looked right", but it's long and the foregoing para somes it up well enuff.

 

[adrianm]

Re: What would you spend R&D cash on for future Mobo\'s

[ QUOTE ]
I suppose that a more economical means of propulsion is required, other than sails!, and what ever happened to the 'wing' engine as a get you home or slow/river cruising?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got a wing engine on my boat. 95hp compared to 450hp on the main engine. Gives me 6 knots at a fraction of the consumption of the main engine, great for pottering around in the summer evenings.

I'd spend the R&D on diesel-electric propulsion and lighter, stronger hull materials.

 

[Nautorius]

Re: What would you spend R&D cash on for future Mobo\'s

It has got to be fuel efficiency. If Toyota can do a great job of producing the 4x4 (don't kill me please) Hybrid then they should produce one for a boat.

Also I would like multi use interiors. For example if you have ever been in the unfortunate possition to only buy a Studio flat, you will have seen some great 'multiuse' layouts. Now Caravans are much further on than boats. The most radical thing I have seen lately is the Prestige 42 with the guest twins which slide together to make a double (and give you full height headroom round the side). Only problem is Stelios had this invented for Easy Cruise 1!

So R&D on Interior Multifunction layout, Economy and ......more beer coolers (or Champers coolers for GC1)

Cheers

Paul

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: What would you spend R&D cash on for future Mobo\'s

Yes, and hardtop sports cruiser will develop further. Someday they'll put some seats on top and maybe an extra steering position to allow the helmsman to see better. What? It's been done before. Damn
Bollox to say flybridge boats will die out. F/B boats have so many advantages over soft or hardtop sports cruisers that there will always be discerning buyers for them

 

[Nautical]

Re: What would you spend R&D cash on for future Mobo\'s

Did'nt say they would completely die out, there will always be a market for them but much reduced and more towards the niche end, semi custom build and longer distance cruising/ livaboard and even some if those sales are going towards displacement type yachts. Take a look at where the big R&D money is going, not into new flybridge designs, hardtop stuff is the growth product at the present with nearly every builder offering or about to offer one if not several which has to be at the expense of flybridge sales the market is'nt growing enough to soak up the new models in hardtops. Several of the more shall we say 'staid' builders are finding sales difficult cus they have'nt brought their range in line with what is selling.

Personally I find an awful lot of the flybridge stuff is so samey, you could be driving any of about six different makes and to non anoraks without the badge you could'nt tell one from the other. For me if I am spending half a mil on a boat I want it to look a bit different than everything else, look like sex on a stick and go as well as it looks. Peeps are spending £1m plus on some quite sexy looking stuff but turn the key and shove the pedal and you might as well be driving a bardge, can't understand it, why say spend 1 1/2 million on a staid looking flybridge mid 60 footer when you can have the likes of the Azimut 68s, groundbreaking yacht, looks fabulous, fantastic design both interior and exterior, goes very well and you just know that you are the center of attention anywhere (and don't tell me you spend that kinda dosh to remain anonymous)