Boat Roll

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dancc,
Some expressions in use today in UK/Ireland came from GI's over here during WW2.
Later expressions from the US TV (that's television) shows influenced our younger generations.
Many others sayings in America date back to the days of Irish/Scottish/English immigrants, for example 'Fall' as in seasons, is the original English expression for what we here in UK/Ireland as Autumn.
Many of the city and town names in both America and Australia come from British/Irish town names copied in the 'New World' by homesick immigrants.
 
I agree that some sort of stabilization is needed for any long distance motor cruiser...

This thread seems tilted towards full displacement but i have to throw in a good word for the many folks on the forum with semi-displacement boats, and can't fully agree with the statement above. Yes my tug can go into the teens but if i keep her down in traditional trawler speed I can go well over 1000 mi on a full tank.
My 43' has no stabilization nor do i want it. Fin stabs are not without their drawbacks as far as maintenance and the addition of extra thru-hulls. Don't get me wrong, I suspect they're definitely a plus in some of the full displacement designs, but just not necessary on all long distance cruisers. We've been in some pretty sporty conditions in Admiralty inlet but i have to say the tug handles it pretty comfortably.
Just want the OP to know there are many hull options out there..... ;)
 
...
I know which side my bread is buttered on ! (Irish expression). Meaning I know when I'm well off.
As long as it`s Irish soda bread, all good.:)
We know a slice of bread falls to the floor butter side down. And a falling cat always lands on its feet. So, if you tape a slice butter side up on the back of a cat.....
 
Always thought boating was a lot about rolling. Expensive to minimize. Consider other non-small-boat options. Have experienced severe rolling even in large ships with stabilizers.
 
Mark most ships have flat bottoms .. not rounded.

The cheeks (bilge area) lifts one side.
 
dancc,
Some expressions in use today in UK/Ireland came from GI's over here during WW2.
Later expressions from the US TV (that's television) shows influenced our younger generations....

Never thought about the influence of US TV and GIs on UK language...

One of the first US expressions we noticed on non US TV, was an Irish show that used the word, "Idjiots" or at least that is how I spell it. Idjiots = Idiots. :)

We were just watching a UK show, can't remember which one, and they used an expression my granny used. I think it was, "Waste not, Want not", which might have been documented by Ben Franklin, and if so, it almost certainly came from the UK. There are other little pronunciations, sometimes just a syllable, that we thought we "American" but maybe not. The Outer Banks of NC, until recently, was rather isolated and the accent and language of the natives was supposed to have been very similar to Elizabethan English.

NC had a huge influx of people from Scotland and Ireland. We have a Scotland country and many place names from derived from these immigrants. Many of the first Scottish settlers came from Campbeltown, Scotland.

Later,
Dan
 
"Don't want the roll?
Get a power cat."

And learn about Multihullers Eyeballs!

FAr far worse in accelerations than even a box underwater.

Think of each hull snapping up 5 rapidly ft as each wave goes under.

Have you actually had one?
I have and didn't experience any of the issues you mention.
 
A boat that has very rounded cross sections like Dixie II (pics) stabilizers will be very effective and you'd love them. However if you put stabilizers on a wide and flat bottomed boat you may be very disappointed.

The stabilizers need to counteract the tendency for the boat roll. If Dixie was sideways on the face of a wave a little righting moment induced by her stabilizers would keep her from responding to her natural tendency to roll putting her lee rail down toward the wave trough. Very little rolling would take place. If you put stabilizers on a barge almost no reduction in roll would take place. The barge would assume a position on the wave that almost matched the shape of the wave. And as quickly as the wave changed shape. The barge would allow the wave to dictate her rolling position almost entirely .. and almost instantly. The barge would assume her natural position no matter how powerful a stabilizing system would be.

Lots of pleasure boats have hull bottoms that are more like a barge that the fish boat in these pics. So unless your boat resembles Dixie's hull cross section any stabilizer installed will need to work very hard to dampen the roll enough so most are comfortable on board.

I include a pic of my Willard to show that even FD pleasure boats are not round in cross section to the extent that Dixie is. And much of the suitability of boats to stabilizers are a result of length to beam ratio. But most SD trawlers are wide and largely flat too. Stabilizers on a pleasure trawler may work acceptably well and then maybe not.

In the first pic you can see Dixie II roll just from the weight of her extended spar.

Our beam is 15'8" in our length is 45 1/2 feet. We are semi displacement. I can tell you that the stabilizers make a world of difference and comfort.
 
Gordon J,
As I said all boats are different.
If you were to take a ride on Dixie II you would think it was magic.
There's many variables involved and most SD boats would benefit from stabilizers. But there's a wide range of results. And to get the stabilizing effects that you enjoy a narrow and round hulled boat would only need small stabilizers.
 
"Have you actually had one?"


Back in the 60's I had a 45ft cold molded Hedly Nichol Voyager try built in then British Honduras , now Belize

Cats for coastal , trys for offshore was the rule then , as the ride is so much better ,

Did a couple of years sailing summers to New England and winters in St Thomas , via Bermuda.

Only rides on motor boat cats has been in sheltered waters , but behind St Barts I helped a number turn and anchor cats into the swells as beam too it was difficult to hang on with both hands. Most were 45 -60 ft .
 
As I find myself saying to the occasional fearful visitors who panic when there's a tiny bit of boat movement:

If a boat didn't roll, it would be a caravan. Or a motorhome.
 
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