I've read many "keel" design related threads in various forums. Yet I persist in dreaming up a revolutionary new hull design for a homemade plywood sailboat. I can't find anyone with experience in testing my "keel-less" hull concept; so I thought I'd ask specific questions:
1. The flat sides of a plywood scow or barge sailboat could simply extend straight down a foot or three and function as fixed or permanent "leeboards". Sure there's the debate about wetted surface and length and depth and effectiveness and drag... But has anyone done this?
2. "Fins" or horizontal skegs could be mounted on the above mentioned side/keels in such a way as to "lift" the lee/heeled down side of the boat. That is, a fixed horizontal "trim plane" could project along the side of the flat sided boat with little or now portion under water when "level" but all of it under water when heeled over, creating a downward deadrise (? term) on the lee side when heeled over and thus lifting the boat--instead of using ballast on the windward side to press down and creating a righting moment.
I thought of these items by comparing outriggers and "M" shaped hulls and speculating about using hydrodynamics to lift or push up on the lee side. Size and shape and angle of these horizontal stabilizers would need to be determined by trial and error, I believe.
I'm trying to create the least displacement 14 ft sailing dinghy or scow or skiff possible that will still support a maximum amount of sail area without capsizing. I figure I could trade the drag from extra displacement for the drag of this crazy hull.
Note: My "actual" hull shape encapsulates these two elements (twin keel-like vertical sides plus fixed trim plane/fins) into a space-age "body" by enclosed some "space" above the fins with flotation voids and other skins just like Star Wars spaceships all have aerodynamic shells even though they are useless in space.
But if the whole thing just flips upside down and embarrasses me, I might continue to cut out paper models of alternatives until everyone stops mocking me here...
Thanks,
Phil
1. The flat sides of a plywood scow or barge sailboat could simply extend straight down a foot or three and function as fixed or permanent "leeboards". Sure there's the debate about wetted surface and length and depth and effectiveness and drag... But has anyone done this?
2. "Fins" or horizontal skegs could be mounted on the above mentioned side/keels in such a way as to "lift" the lee/heeled down side of the boat. That is, a fixed horizontal "trim plane" could project along the side of the flat sided boat with little or now portion under water when "level" but all of it under water when heeled over, creating a downward deadrise (? term) on the lee side when heeled over and thus lifting the boat--instead of using ballast on the windward side to press down and creating a righting moment.
I thought of these items by comparing outriggers and "M" shaped hulls and speculating about using hydrodynamics to lift or push up on the lee side. Size and shape and angle of these horizontal stabilizers would need to be determined by trial and error, I believe.
I'm trying to create the least displacement 14 ft sailing dinghy or scow or skiff possible that will still support a maximum amount of sail area without capsizing. I figure I could trade the drag from extra displacement for the drag of this crazy hull.
Note: My "actual" hull shape encapsulates these two elements (twin keel-like vertical sides plus fixed trim plane/fins) into a space-age "body" by enclosed some "space" above the fins with flotation voids and other skins just like Star Wars spaceships all have aerodynamic shells even though they are useless in space.
But if the whole thing just flips upside down and embarrasses me, I might continue to cut out paper models of alternatives until everyone stops mocking me here...
Thanks,
Phil