SMITH-Morley - History of Planing Hulls

2/28/2017 Speed Boat Developments From The Past Into The Future
Speed Boat Developments From The Past Into The Future
Morley S. Smith
Abstract
Speed boat development began in the early 1900's with the development of the first gasoline powered piston
engines. These engines were large and heavy. Boat hulls were long narrow round bottomed displacement hulls.
As engine design improved, the Vee bottomed, hard chined planing hull and the stepped hull were developed.
Drive systems included the direct drive, Vee drive, stern drive, and surface drive.
The performance of each combination of hull type and drive system can be illustrated by a graph of Performance
Factors. (Power Factor vs. Speed Factor) These Performance Factors take into account the running weight,
engine horsepower, and measured maximum speed.
For each combination of hull type and drive system, there is a maximum performance line or Limit Line. By
comparing the Limit Lines of different combinations of hull type and drive system, we can also see how the
efficiency of boats has increased over the years.
The final'step is to look at combinations and configurations which might produce even greater improvements in
the future. The combination of surface drive and stepped hull will be significantly more efficient than current
pleasure craft.
Morley S. Smith
Performance Plans, Freeville, N.Y. Member
* * *
The history recorded herein, begins at about 1900 when internal combustion piston engines began to replace
heavy steam engines and boilers. Many of the examples given herein are race boats. Theseboats were the most
efficient types of their day. The speeds weights and horsepower are often recorded.
Displacement Hulls
At the turn of the century when internal combustion engines were physically large and very heavy, the hulls used
were displacement hulls. When a displacement hull moves forward, the sharp narrow bow pushes or displaces
the water out to the sides. As the hull passes, the water closes in behind it.
Figure 1 shows the lines of Standard,
one of the fastest displacement hulls at
that time. [1]
Length 60 ft. Beam 7'6' 110 hp. Speed
30 mph. in 1903
These displacement hulls were round
bottomed hulls. Viewed in cross section,
the tops of the sides were more or less
vertical. As the sides move downward,
they curve gently into a nearly flat
bottom at the keel.
Direct Drive:
Figure 1. Standard, 1903
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The direct drive engine is located at about mid length in the hull. The propeller shaft goes aft from the engine
transmission, through the bottom of the boat, to the propeller which is located aft under the transom.
Refer to Figure 13, for a sketch of Alternate Propulsion Systems.
The performance of a displacement hull is such that the power requirements increase as the speed increases. At
higher speeds, the power requirements increase more rapidly, until a speed is reached where great increases in
power produce negligible increase in speed.
Figure. 2. illustrates the first basic characteristic of displacement hulls: 'The
greater the length, the higher the limiting speed." If you want to go faster,
you build a longer hull.
Luckily the racing rule makers saw what was about to happen. Race boats
were already getting absurdly long. New racing rules in 1905 limited the
length of Gold Cup and Harmsworth Trophy boats to 40 ft..
Dixie I Length 40' x Beam 5'6' [1] 150 Hp. Dry weight = 5,150 Lb.
29.8 Mph in 1904; 32 Mph. in 1906
Designer: Clinton Crane
Note how the very sharp bow cuts through the water, rolling back a nice bow
wave. The hull runs level. The ideal displacement hull. (Figure 3)
Since the length of these hulls had been limited, the only way to increase the
speed further was to reduce the weight.
Figure 2. Displacement Hulls Figure 4 illustrates the second basic characteristic of displacement hulls:
Showing the effect of of waterline
length
'The lighter the weight, the higher the limiting speed.' As before, power
Engine weight = 30 lbs/HP requirements increase more rapidly as speed increases.
[Photo of Dixie temporarily not Henry Crane designed and built a large and phenomenally light 220 Hp.
available]
engine for anew boat to be named Dixie II. The V8 engine had 2,477 cubic
Figure 3. Dixie, displacement hull inch displacement, weighing less than 0.9 pounds per cubic inch. [1]
Compare this to modern automotive engines which weigh about 2 pounds
per cubic inch without transmission or exhaust manifolds. The extremely
light weight of Crane's 1908 engine was a major engineering achievement.
The reason the power output was so low is because maximum speed of the
engine was only 900 Rpm. (about idle speed for a modern automotive
engine).
This light weight engine was placed in an extremely light hull. The 39'3"
hull weighed only 1,130 Lb. It was a huge canoe with planking of only 1/4"
on the sides, and 3/8" on the bottom. [1]
In running trim this hull and engine weighed about 15 pounds per
horsepower. Less than half of the Weight/Hp. of Dixie I.
Dixie II Length 39'3" X Beam 5'4"
220 Hp. Speed = 37 Mph. in 1908
This combination of high power and low weight allowed the hull to be
Figure 4. Displacement Hulls pushed beyond displacement speeds. At these speeds the bow wave is
Showing the effect of weight
Twenty foot waterline length
pushed to the side so forcefully that the water does not close in behind the
hull. The bow in effect cuts a trough, and the stern sinks into the trough. The
bow rises and tries to climb up on top of the bow wave. The bow is out of the water, and waterline length is no
longer the hull length. This round bottomed hull had been pushed to planing speeds.
Dixie II dominated racing; winning the Gold Cup in 1908, 1909, and 1910, and the Harmsworth Trophy in 1908.
(Dixie II has been restored and is now in the Antique Boat Museum at Clayton N.Y.)
The next step was to develop a hull shape which would do a better job of climbing up on top of the bow wave
and 'plane'.
Planing Hull Characteristics
Figure 6 shows the lines of a typical
planing hull. A patrol boat designed by
John Hacker. [2]
(a) Hard chined hulls have a
sharp edge between the hull
side panel and the bottom
panel. At speed, these hulls
tend to throw the bow wave
downward rather than push
the bow wave out to the side
as a displacement hull does.
The hard chine keeps the
bow wave from wetting the
Figure 6 The lines of a typical planing hull. side panel, thus reducing the
wetted area. Less wetted area means less hull drag.
Nearly all of the fiberglass planing pleasure boats made today have a vee bottomed,
hard chine configuration.
The concept of the hard chined hull was not new. E. W. Graef published plans for a
hard chined, vee bottomed displacement hull named Dolphin.
(b) It was also discovered at about this time that a flat deadrise or flat bottomed hull
will have less drag than a highly veed hull. [3]
Figure 7 shows the Trim and Drag characteristics of a typical direct drive
monohull. (Running weight = 2,500 lb.)
As the speed of a planing hull increases, the trim angle, or angle of attack
decreases.
(a) This increases the wetted area and greatly Increases the drag.
(b) The propeller shaft, shaft strut and rudder also cause drag.
Appendage drag. The appendage drag increases as the square of
the speed. Total drag increases very rapidly as speed increases.
When designing very high speed craft, it is important to consider all of the lift
and drag forces acting on the appendages.
(Propeller, propeller shaft, shaft strut and rudder.) These forces can greatly
affect the position of the center of lift of the hull and the optimum hull
Figure 7. Trim and Drag proportions. Procedures and references for calculating hull drag and
characteristics of a typical direct appendage forces are given in the appendix.
drive monohull.
Planing Hull Limits
Figure (8) Performance Factors for Direct Drive Planing Hulls
Performance Factors are complex mathematical expressions which
combine running weight, engine power and measured maximum
speed. These mathematical expressions are derived from model
scaling procedures. By using these complex expressions, all size
effects are eliminated. (A more detailed explanation of Performance
Factors is given in the appendix.)
The Performance Factors show that as the amount of applied power is
increased, the speed increases. At high speeds, considerable increases
in power produce relatively small increases in speed.
By using these complex numbers we can compare the performance of
any size or weight of direct drive planing hull with the maximum
performance possible. [4]
There is a definite limit to how much speed tan be obtained from a
Figure 8. Performance Factors for Directdirect drive, Yee bottomed hull. This is called the Limit Line, and this
Drive Planing Hulls
limit depends upon horsepower and weight. The closer the actual
performance comes to the Limit Line, the more efficient the craft.
The graph shows circles which represent test data from actual boats. [5] [6] There are numerous possible reasons
why these data points do not lie on the limit line.
(a) The chine beam of the test boat is not optimum for the power and weight.
(b) The propeller chosen for the test is not optimum for top speed. It might be chosen
for best cruise efficiency, maximum acceleration or a compromise.
The engine might not have been producing it's rated power on the day of the test. (d) The data for running
weight is not always accurate.
Nevertheless, I find it surprising that the test data for very different craft is so closely bunched near the limit
line.
The racing rule makers banned stepped hulls from the Gold Cup races in 1920 and limited engine displacement
to ten litres (or 610 cubic inches). Packard ChrisCraft and similar hard chined monohulls dominated the Gold
Cup racing until 1931, when stepped hulls were again allowed to compete.
Prominant names include, Baby Bootlegger, Imp, Hotsy Totsy, Rainbow IX, Miss Columbia, Arab VI,and Baby
Horace III. [1] The boats listed here have been beautifully restored or replicated and are in running condition,
often appearing at antique boat shows.
The boats were about 25' to 27' long, and averaged about 40 to 45 Mph. around the course. Speeds changed very
little over a 13 year period, and this is to be expected from looking at the Limit Line on the Performance Factor
graph.
Performance Factors and Limit lines can be used to predict the performance of a given, hull with different
amounts of power. Rainbow IX (Length 25'10', beam 5'10') is a good example. [7]
Originally built in 1923 as Packard ChrisCraft II, this hard chined, vet bottomed hull was powered by a 6
cylinder Packard engine producing 250 hp. and achieved a maximum speed of about 45 mph. This craft has
since been restored and repowered with a modern, light weight, 650 hp. V12 BPM.engine. Even though the
craft has about 2½ times it's original power, it does not run much more than 10 mph. faster than it's original
speed, (as would be predicted by the limit line).
How do we overcome the performance limitations of direct drive monohulls? We either change the shape of the
hull, or we change the drive system. Regardless of wether we change the hull or the drive, one of the goals is to
make the hull run at a higher angle of attack at high speeds. (Refer back to Fig. 7.)
Let us first look at a different hull shape. The stepped hull.
Stepped Hulls
The concept was originally proposed by Rev. Ramus of Sussex England in 1872. He proposed both a single stop
with tandem planing surfaces, and a combination of three pontoons with one forward and two aft. Indications are
that these shapes were derived from model tests. Unfortunately, the heavy steam power plants of that day could
not push a hull fast enough to plane, and take advantage of the new concept.
As early as 1906 there were published drawings for small stepped hulls with hard chines. William Henry Fauber
[8] obtained a U.S. patent for hulls with multiple steps in 1908, but could find few people in the U.S.A.
interested, so he moved to Europe.
Two small boats Solair (12') and Flapper (15') demonstrated the potential of stepped hulls as did the
Harmsworth challenger Pioneer (5 steps) in 1910. (See Data Chart, Figure 12.)
The stepped hull began practical development about at the same time as the hard chined planing hull. A step in
the bottom of a hull, raises part of the bottom surface so that it is no longer touching the water. Less wetted area.
At the same time, the planing surfaces meet the water at a near optimum angle of attack over a wide range of
speeds. The stepped hull is very efficient hydrodynamically.
Refer to Figure 9 : Sketch of Hard Chined Planing Hulls
In the early days of stepped hulls, it was not certain just how many
steps should be incorporated. Pioneer had 5 steps in 1910. Maple
Leaf IV had 5 steps.
Maple Leaf IV: Length 39'11' x Beam 8' . Two V8 engines 350
Hp. each.
In 1912, Maple Leaf IV came over, from England, won the
Harmsworth Trophy, and took it home. She had no less than five
steps, and the driver sat on a pedestal high above the transom in
order to see over the bow.
Some hulls had so many steps that they were called "shingled'.
Rainbow IV (12 steps);
Eventually, model tests showed that a single step would be most
Figure 9. Planing Hulls Hard Chine efficient if you could locate it in the right position and give.it the
proper depth.
The lines shown in Figure 10 are
typical of stepped hulls in the 1920's.
Note the very flat bottom. This boat
raced in a class limited to engines with
1.5 litre displacements.
Gar wood brought the Harmsworth
Trophy back to United States in 1920
with the first of his Miss America's.
These single stepped craft so dominated
the Gold Cup and Harmsworth racing
that few other boats attempted to
compete. The Miss America series were
not really efficient boats, just big boats
Figure 10. Newg with huge amounts of power from
multiple V12 Packard engines.
Between about 1915 and 1940, a great many motor torpedo boats and fast patrol boats were built world wide,
with stepped hulls. [10] The performance of these craft varied considerably, with some being very inefficient.
Stepped Hull Limitations
The stepped hull maintains a nearly optimum angle of attack over most of the speed range. The hydrodynamic
hull drag is almost constant. The drag of the propeller shaft, shaft strut and rudder, (appendage drag) increase as
the square of the speed.
Figure 11: Performance Factors for Racing Stepped Hulls.
The graph of Performance Factors shows actual speed data of different
prominent racing stepped hulls. The data points are numbered and refer to
numbers on the data chart Figure 12. The boats are numbered in sequence
according to the year when the speeds were established. The sequential
increases in power factor reflect engine development and not hull
development. Notice that most of these boats perform almost on the limit
line. Gar Wood's Miss Americas were really quite inefficient. Many
stepped hulls from England were significantly more efficient and often
faster. They failed to win races because of a lack of strength and
mechanical reliability. The very streamlined Alagi was slightly more
efficient than the others.
Stepped hulls are difficult to design. There are many design variables
compared to the design of a Vee bottomed monohull. I do not know of any
accurate method available to optimize stepped hull design other than by
Figure 11: Performance Factors for
model testing.
Racing Stepped Hulls.
Stepped hulls dominated race boat design until about 1938 when Adolph
Apel patented the three point hydroplane configuration. Ventnor three point hydroplanes dominated small
limited class racing, yet stepped hulls were running competitively in Unlimited class racing up until 1949. In
1950, SloMoShun demonstrated 'prop riding' and boosted the world speed record significantly. (More on 'prop
riding" later.)
Stepped hulls definitely have the potential of being significantly more efficient than rnonohulls.
Compare the Limit Lines on the Performance Factor graphs. There are a number of reasons why stepped hulls
did not become popular for pleasure boats.
(a) Complexity of design, and the costs of development.
(b) Stepped hulls were banned from gold cup racing from 1920 to 1931. Wealthy race
boat owners were not investing in stepped hull development.
(c) There were quite a few relatively small stepped 'gentleman's racers' built, but few of
these were really efficient.
(d) There were many huge warsurplus aircraft engines available after the first world
war, at reasonable prices, and few light weight marine engines available. It was easier,
(and possibly cheaper) to buy a big engine for a monohull, than to develop an efficient
stepped hull.
Fig.12
RACING HULLS
RUN
POWER SPEED POWER SPEED
NAME YEAR LENGTH BEAM WEIGHT
HP MPH FACTOR FACTOR
LB
DISPLACEMENT HULLS (Round Bottomed)
(a) Standard ‘04 60' 7'6" 5400 110 30 15.38 22.65
(b) Vingt et Un II ‘04 38’9" 4’7" 4500 75 24 12.97 18.68
(c) Chip ‘05 27'3" 2230 15.3 20.7 6.0 18.1
(d) Dixie ‘05 40' 5'6" 5725 150 27.4 19.59 20.48
(e) Dixie II ‘08 39’9" 5'4" 4020 220 35.8 43.4 35.8
HARD CHINED PLANING HULL
(1) Vida IV ‘07 15' 1630 14 25 7.92 23.04
STEPPED HULLS
(1) Solair ‘10 12' 1255 70 46 53.7 44.29
(2) Flapper ‘10 15' 680 40 47 62.7 50.1
(3) Miranda IV 26' 5’11" 3500 115 40.3 26.67 32.
(4) Dixie IV ‘11 39'6" 6'11" 7854 440 45.2 39.74 32.06
(5) Newg ‘25 18'6" 4’10" 1785 90 45 45.78 40.86
(6) Amer VI ‘28 6450 2200 80 249.9 58.64
(7) Estelle IV ‘29 35' 9'6" 9350 2000 105 147.4 72.34
(8) England II ‘30 38'6" 10'6" 14150 3600 99 163.59 63.66
(9) England III ‘32 35' 9’6" 10500 4400 120.5 283.2 81.43
(10) Amer X ‘33 38' 9’8" 14150 7600 125 345.35 80.37
(11) Delphine IX ‘33 26' 8’6" 4600 550 75 92.7 58.16
(12) Britan III ‘33 24' 4397 1375 110 244.3 85.94
(13) Blue Bird ‘37 23' 5925 2150 120 269.75 89.2
(14) Alagi ‘38 20' 2600 450 91.4 147.6 77.9
(15) Canada III ‘39 25' 3250 1000 100 252.8 82.2
(16) Canada III 3800 1650 120 347.6 96.1
(17) Canada IIIR 3250 450 77 113.8 63

(18) Canada IV ‘50 33' 5500 3000 143 410.5 107.6
(19) Pepsi ‘50 36' 12'6" 12430 2 x 3500 160 185 105.
Aerodynamics
Three point hydroplanes and other more modern hull configurations such as tunnel hulls, use aerodynamic lift to
improve the efficiency of the craft. Any weight supported by air, does not have to be supported by the water. Air
has much less drag than the water. In order to obtain significant aerodynamic lift, it is necessary to have light
weight and to run at very high speeds. (Race boats with modified engines or outboard motors.)
Aerodynamics of high speed boats is an extensive subject all it's own and will not be dealt with further in this
paper. [11]
Drive Systems
Let us look at the different drive systems and see how they affected the performance of planing hulls. We have
seen how stepped hulls increased the angle of attack of the hull at high speeds, (compared to the direct drive
monohull). An increase in trim angle can also be achieved by moving weight, (the engine) aft, or by changing
the direction of propeller thrust. This is what alternate drive systems do.
Figure 13 shows Alternate Drive Systems
Direct Drive
Engine weight is at about mid length in the hull. Propeller thrust is upward.
Having the engine weight forward on a monohull, helps the boat get up onto
plane more quickly, as does the lifting component of propeller thrust. The
direct drive layout is still in use today on boats which specialize in towing
water skiers. At high speed, the forward weight and upward propeller thrust
reduce the angle of attack and increase the hull drag.
The direct drive is the least expensive of the drive systems.
Vee Drive
The engine is located aft in the hull. The output shaft runs forward to a gear
box, and then aft from the gear box, through the hull bottom to the propeller
Figure 13. Alternate Drive Systems located aft under the transom.
(a) Some early stepped hull race boats were equipped with Yee drives and located the
crew aft of the engine. Liberty The Second, Miss Daytona, Miss Minneapolis, Arab Iv,
Prowler Jr., [1] (These boats have been restored or replicated.) and most of Gar Wood's
Miss America's..
(b) Other layouts put the engine right back against the transom. The drive shaft runs
forward between the crew which sits forward of the engine.
This was a common layout for English stepped hulls such as Miss England II, Miss Britain III, Delphine IX, and
Bluebird I. [1] [2] [3]
The use of a Vee drive in a stepped hull shows no increase in performance compared to a direct drive stepped
hull.
Vee drive systems were common on many modern flat bottomed racing monohulls and drag boats.
Engine weight is aft of mid length, and the propeller shaft angle is less inclined than with a direct drive. Having
the weight aft tends to lift the bow of the boat, as does the more level thrust line of the propeller. The hull
becomes more efficient at high speed than the direct drive monohull.
SternDrive
The engine is aft against the transom with the drive shaft going aft through the transom above the water line into
a right angle gear box mounted aft of the transom. The drive goes down into another right angle gear box which
contains the propeller shaft.
Engine weight is full aft, and the propeller thrust line is basically parallel to the keel. Modern designs are
hydraulically adjustable so that the propeller shaft angle can be varied up or down. Upward thrust of the
propeller helps a monohull get up on plane. Downward thrust of the propeller helps to lift the bow at high
speeds. (More efficient for this hull.) The stern drive is the most common drive system (with inboard engine) for
modern planing pleasure craft. A hard chined monohull with a stern drive, is almost as efficient as a stepped
hull. (With the same deadrise and a practical power range.)
The monohull is much easier to design than a stepped hull. When we consider that the number of designers of
good stepped racing hulls in the past was probably no more than a half dozen, we can understand why the large
volume boat manufacturers of today avoid such complex designs.
Figure 14, shows Performance Factors for Stern Drive Pleasure Boats
The small circles represent data points from actual boat tests published in
1992. The limit line is also shown. The boats tested in 1984 and prior
years were significantly less efficient. The limit line was further to the
left. [3]
The general characteristics of the Limit Line are similar to what we have
seen for direct drive monohulls and direct drive stepped hulls. As the
speed increases, the power requirements increase.
Surface Drives
A surface drive is one in which only the lower half of the propeller is in
the water. This was tried by Albert Hickman on his Sea Sleds in the late
teens and on Rainbow IV in 1924. [1] In these applications, the propeller
shaft went aft from the engine and through the transom just above the
bottom of the boat. As the propeller rotates, only one half of the blades
are in the water at a time. A three or four bladed propeller is used in order
Figure 14, shows Performance Factors
for Stern Drive Pleasure Boats
to reduce the vibrations caused by blade impacts. It is a characteristic of
surface piercing propellers to shoot a great plume of water out behind the
boat.
The 'Roostertail' is evident in photos of Rainbow IV (1924) and of Hickman's SeaSleds (1920 ). [l] Surface
piercing propellers must have a larger diameter than submerged propellers because not all of the blade area is
working at any one time.
The advantage of the surface drive is that It eliminates the drag of the propeller shaft and shaft strut, and part of
the rudder area. Neither craft just described exhibited any really significant gains in speed. (This will be
explained later.)
Modern Developments
The surface piercing propeller was rediscovered almost by accident by three different race boats, in three
different countries in the late 1940's.
(A) Bluebird
In 1939 Sir Malcolm Campbell set a world speed record of 141.7 mph. in a three point hydroplane designed by
Adolph Apel of Ventnor fame. [12] [13] In 1949, his son Donald began testing the same boat, and found that at
145 mph. the transom started to lift. The transom mounted engine cooling water pickup would come out of the
water and the engine would overheat. With the water pickup relocated to a forward sponson, a speed of 160
mph. was achieved. When the stern lifted, the propeller came part way out of the water and became a surface
piercing propeller.
As the propeller rotates, the blades come out of the water, travel through the air, and then come down out of the
air and into the water with considerable impact force. This impact force is seen as a lifting force on the propeller
shaft. It is this lifting force which supports the aft end of the boat. The aft end of the boat rides on the propeller
force, thus the name 'Prop Rider'.
The propeller shaft, shaft strut and part of the rudder are lifted out of the water. This eliminates much of the
appendage drag and allows a considerable increase in speed.
The angle of the Bluebird's sponson bottoms was then changed so that they would have an efficient angle of
attack after the stern lifted off the water. A speed of 170 mph. was reached before the craft hit a floating log and
was too badly damaged to rebuild.
(B) Miss Canada.IV
In 1948 Harold Wilson established a North American record of 138 Mph. in a two step hydroplane designed by
Doug Van Patten. [14] Almost the same speed that Malcolm Campbell had achieved with a three point
hydroplane in 1939.
With some changes in propeller, this boat achieved 173 mph. before the propeller shaft broke. Photos of this run
show a distinct roostertail. The boat was prop riding but no one seems to have been aware of it.
Harold made one more try and exceeded the 170 mph speed, but an overspeeding engine destroyed the gear box
before speed measurements could be made. The expense of rebuilding the equipment to withstand these
significantly higher speeds prompted Harold to retire from racing.
(C) SloMoShun IV
The story of how this boat was developed by designer Ted Jones and owner Stanley Sayers has not been
revealed in detail. It just seemed to appear in June 1950, and set a world speed record of 160.3 mph. Again, the
roostertail revealed that this boat was 'prop riding'. After having the angle of the sponsons adjusted, SloMo
boosted the record to 178.5 mph in 1952.
Here we have three boats which exhibited almost 40 mph. (or 29%) increase in speed as a result of prop riding.
These three boats demonstrate the gains to be had by combining a surface drive with a stepped hull.
Why not apply a surface drive to a pleasure boat ?
In recent times, manufacturers such as Arneson and Dan Arena have packaged surface drive systems which
locate the engine back at the transom and put the propeller about 30" aft of the transom. On the Arneson system
the short propeller shaft is pivoted about a vertical axis for steering. These drives exhibited some speed increase
when installed on Offshore racing tunnel hulls, but nothing near the speed increases seen on three point
hydroplanes. Rainbow IV and the Seasleds did not exhibit great increases in speed in their day either.
Modern surface drives use supercavitating propellers. On a supercavitating propeller, the water separates from
the suction face of the blade and leaves an air cavity between the water and the blade face. The cavity extends
aft of the trailing edge of the blade. Sometimes the trailing edge of the blade is made very blunt or flat. These
are called cleaver propellers.
Future
It all goes back to the factors which limit the performance of any vee bottomed planing hull. The angle of attack
of the hull planing surface relative to the water surface.
The surface drive has two factors working against the monohull. The propeller lift forces (which are well aft of
the transom on the Arneson drive), and the propeller thrust line which is high and near the bottom of the hull.
Both these factors tend to push the bow of the hull down, flatten the trim angle and make the hull less efficient.
Any gains from reduction in appendage drag are offset by an increase in hull drag. The boat does not travel
significantly faster. The reduction of one set of drag forces is offset by the increase in another set of drag forces.
The idea is to combine the efficiency of the surface drive with a hull that will have maximum efficiency, in spite
of the prop lift of the surface drive. This requires a stepped hull.
I call the combination of surface drive and stepped hull, a SurfStep. The potential gains from such a
combination are considerable.
Now you can see why a study of hull design history is desirable. It enables us to look at the overall advance of
technology without getting buried in minute details.
Performance Comparison
Figure 16 shows the potential speeds for four different types of boat
in the 18' to 20' length range. The hull weight is fixed. The running
weight is adjusted for engine size, and drive type weight. 8y using a
single boat size, the numbers should be more meaningful to the
average reader.
The SurfStep is about 8 mph. faster than a stepped hull, or 12 mph
faster than a stern drive with the same power. This magnitude of gain
is worth pursuing.
SurfStep
General design Characteristics On modern surface drives, the
propeller is located 30' or more aft of a hull planing surface. At low
speeds, especially when the boat is 'getting up onto a plane', the hull
assumes a steep angle of attack. This submerges the aft located
propeller more completely so that more blade area is working. The
pressure loading per square inch of blade area is reduced and
Figure 15, Performance Factors of Different
Configurations
'runaway cavitation' is less likely to occur.
I prefer to extend the hull bottom aft on either side of the propeller to
reduce hull drag during the process of getting up onto a plane. This
should further reduce propeller loading at that critical speed.
A further enhancement would be to place a shroud around the upper
section of the propeller. A lip on the shroud aft of the propeller will
help pressurize the water at the propeller diameter.
If the shroud extends out to the hull side extensions, the propeller
will be operating in a truncated tunnel.
The designer must be aware of the fact that a propeller draws in
water from a disc area which is significantly larger than the propeller
diameter.
The primary hull step must be located forward of the effective center
of pressure in order to prevent porpoising.
The large lifting forces produced by the surface piercing propeller,
move the center of pressure well forward of the static center of
gravity.
Dual Deadrise
Consider the cross section of the hull at the primary step. This
portion of the hull will be running at near optimum trim when at
Figure 16, Horsepower vs. Speed for different
configurations.
maximum hull speed. A conventional vee section would be running
chinedry. The outboard portions of the bottom near the chine
provide no lift, but are wetted by spray. I prefer to cut away that portion of the bottom which is not working. The
wetted area is given a relatively low deadrise of about 10 degrees. Research has shown that wave impact forces
are greatly reduced when the beam is reduced. [15] [17] The edge of the wetted area is defined by a spray fence.
Model tests have shown that spray fences can reduce the drag of a stepped hull by as much as 10 percent. Lift
strakes do not have this effect.
The portion of the hull outboard of the spray fence will have a much higher deadrise. (Thirty degrees is shown.)
In rough water, the craft can be expected to operate at lower speeds. There will be more wetted area. The
outboard portions of the hull with their high deadrise will be operating at much less than optimum trim. These
portions of the hull will contribute very little to wave impact forces.
An alternative to a dual deadrise surface is a convex hull section. The continuous curvature will be more rigid
than a dual deadrise surface. The spray fence which defines the beam of the high speed wetted area can be
moved depending upon the power and loading of any given particular application.
Summary
The performance of any combination of hull type and drive system has definite Performance Limits. In order to
increase performance beyond the limits of presently common boats, we must develop new combinations of drive
and hull.
Some combinations do not promise significant improvements in Performance Limits. A stepped hull with a stern
drive is only slightly better than a rnonohull with a stern drive. The monohull with a surface drive is only
slightly better than a monohull with a stern drive.
It is the combination of surface drive and stepped hull which can produce significant improvements in efficiency
for pleasure craft. (Up to 40% less power required.)
The task of designing an effective SurfStep craft will require the combined ,effort of hull designer and
propulsion system designer. Much of the technology is available. The drive system is complex. Stepped hulls are
much more difficult to design than monohulls, and some of the design secrets which have passed on with the old
designers might have to be relearned. Don't expect the first prototype to perform at the Limit Line. The potential
gains are still substantial.
References
[l] D.W.Fostle, 'Speedboat' Mystic Seaport Museum, 1988
[2] Lindsay Lord, 'Naval Architecture of Planing Hulls', Cornell Maritime Press. 1954
[3] Daniel Savitsky, 'Hydrodynamic Design of Planing Hulls' Marine Technology, October, 1964
[4] Morley S. Smith 'How Fast Will It Go ?' Society of Small Craft Designers, 1986
[5] Powerboat Magazine, Gerald Christian Nordskog Publisher
[6] Trailerboat Magazine Poole Publications
[7] William T. Campbell Jr. 'A Speedboat Scrapbook' Mystic Seaport Museum, 1992
[8] Kevin Desmond, Power Boat Orion Books (Crown Publishers)1988
[9] Uffa Fox, 'Sail And Power' Peter Davies Ltd., 1936
[10] 'Fast Fighting Boats'
[11] Morley S. Smith 'The Aerodynamics of High Speed Boats' S.N.A.M.E. Oct.1985
[12] Leo Villa & Kevin Desmond, 'The World Water Speed Record', Pitman Press., 1955
[13] Donald Campbell, 'Into The Water Barrier', Odhams Press. 1955
[14] Harold Wilson, 'Boats Unlimited' Boston Mills Press., 1990
[15] Savitsky, 'On The Seakeeping of Planing Hulls', Marine Tech. April, 1968
[16] Ward P. Brown & R.L.Van Dyk 'An Experimental Investigation of Deadrise Planing Surfaces with
Reentrant Vee Step', Davidson Lab Report 664, Stevens Inst. Dec. 1964
[17] Eshbach, 'Handbook of Engineering Fundamentals', John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1952
[18] Eugene P. Clement & James D. Pope 'Stepless and Stepped Planing Hulls' Hydrodynamics Lab R & D
Report 1490, 1961
[19] Daniel Savitsky, 'Procedures for Hydrodynamic Evaluation of planing Hulls in Smooth and Rough Water'
Marine Tech. Oct. 1976
[20] Donald L.Blount & David L. Fox, "SmallCraft Power prediction" Marine Technology January, 1976
Appendix
Performance Factors
Performance Factors were developed so that the performance or efficiency of one boat design can be compared
to that of another. Performance is expressed in terms of maximum speed, rated power and running weight. These
are factors which are usually readily available for existing boats. Factors such as overall length and maximum
beam have very little to do with the actual performance of a boat. Factors such as location of the center of
gravity, chine beam at the center of gravity, or deadrise at the center of gravity are seldom known.
Performance Factors are derived from model scaling relationships. When a prototype hull design is scaled down
to produce a model for tank testing, the proportions of the model must maintain a fixed relationship to the
proportions of the prototype. These relationships are controlled by the "Rules of Similarity'. [17]
All length dimensions (length, beam, location of center of gravity etc.), must be decreased in the same
proportions. (The length scale factor.)
Areas decrease as the square of the length scale factor.
Volumes decrease as the cube of the length scale factor.
Weights decrease as the cube of the length scale factor.
The model is towed and the drag is measured at different speeds. Because the model has been scaled according
to the rules of similarity, the model drag and power requirements art scaled also.
Horsepower decreases as the length scale factor to the 3.5 power (Mathematically)
Speed decreases as the square root of the length scale factor, or the length scale factor to the 1/2 power
(mathematically)
Naval architects usually plot the hull drag against a speed factor. The speed coeff. is commonly expressed as a
speed/length ratio or a speed/beam ratio.
Speed Coeff.
or
Where g is the acceleration due to gravity. (32.2 ft/sec2) The introduction of g makes the speed coefficient non
dimensional.
The model and the prototype run at the same speed coefficient.
The problem with such coefficients is that they do not allow the comparison of the performance of two different
hulls with significantly different proportions. Consider a hypothetical example. Two identical hulls. Same
weight, same drag versus speed curve. same power and same top speed.
One hull is given flared sides so that. the measured beam at the shear is greatly increased (without any increase
in weight) If these hulls are compared on the basis of drag versus a speed/beam coeff., the performance will not
be comparable. The wide hull will appear to have more drag at the same speed/beam ratio. In reality, the speed
performance of the two hulls will be exactly the same. Similarly, a long raked stem can upset a speed/length
comparison.
It is because of these disparities that other speed coefficients needed to be developed.
Froude Number = F =
= volume of the water displaced at rest
This is close to the Speed Factor which I use. I divide the weight by a factor of 1,000 just to produce more
manageable numbers.
Drag/Lift Ratio
Naval architects commonly express the efficiency of a planing surface in terms of the drag produced in order to
hydrodynamically support a given amount of weight. The drag/lift ratio. The amount of drag is roughly equal to
the component of propeller thrust which is parallel to the keel. The thrust is proportional to the driving
horsepower (and speed).
Because the horsepower of an existing hull is known, and the actual hull drag is not known; it is logical to
express the hull efficiency as a power/weight factor.
Power varies as the 3.5 power of the length scale factor.
Weight varies as the 3rd power of the length scale factor.
Power varies as the (3.5 / 3.0) power or the 1.1667 power (mathematically) of the Weight scale factor.
Speed varies as the square root or ½ power of the length scale factor.
Weight varies as the 3rd power of the length scale factor.
Speed varies as the (½ divided by 3) or the 1/6 power of the Weight scale factor.
Figure [18] Shows weight raised to these two power levels.
System Design
At low planing speeds, the appendage drag, the aerodynamic drag, and the appendage lift forces are small
compared to the hydrodynamic drag. The usual procedure for designing a low speed boat is to optimize the
hydrodynamic drag of the hull. There is little to be gained by trying to improve or optimize anything but the
hydrodynamic drag. [3] [18] [19]
On high speed boats, the appendage drag, aerodynamic drag, and appendage lift forces can be very large. (These
forces increase as the square of the speed.) Lift produced by the angled propeller shaft of a direct drive system
shifts the effective center of gravity (or center of hydrodynamic pressure seen by the hull), forward. The angle of
attack of the hull decreases, and the hull drag increases. The real optimum chine beam for this high speed hull
will be different than it would be if shaft lift were ignored in the calculations. The whole system must be
considered during the design stage of high speed boats. [20]
Limit Lines
The limit lines shown on the graphs are mathematical expressions which are valid for the particular combination
of hull type and drive system being investigated. One equation should cover all of the craft of a given
combination.
The naval architect can develop a mathematical equation which will closely approximate the limit line. The
basis of the equation is that the horsepower put out by the engine equals the total of all of the losses and drag
forces in the system. This equation includes factors such as: transmission losses, propeller slip, aerodynamic
drag, hull drag, appendage drag, (rudder, propeller shaft, strut, etc.)
By using such equations, the naval architect knows where the horsepower goes and which losses are greatest.
When calculating the hydrodynamic drag of a planing hull, the designer must take into account the lift forces on
the inclined propeller shaft and rudder, and the suction forces produced by the propeller on the hull.
Consider a direct drive hull. The aerodynamic drag, propeller shaft drag, strut drag and rudder drag all increase
as the square of the speed. Individual drag coefficients can be developed using methods outlined in [18]. When
the effects of propeller shaft and rudder lift, and propeller suction are taken into account, it was determined that
the hull drag also increases as the square of the speed (in the power range for which I have data).
Horsepower is calculated at different speeds using this equation. This data is then converted to Power Factor and
Speed Factor for plotting on the graph.
Similar procedures can be used to establish the mathematical equation for the limit line of other configurations.
Stepped Race Boats
The data collected usually provides total weight of hull and engine. I have estimated crew and fuel weight to
arrive at an approximate running weight. The hull hydrodynamic drag is assumed to be constant at maximum
speed. Equal to the drag of the step deadrise at optimum trim plus ten percent.
Most of the boats recorded, used an aft propeller shaft bearing mounted in the rudder. This essentially eliminates
the drag of the shaft strut.
Reference [4] shows test data and limit lines for offshore performance boats, outboard powered vet bottomed
hulls and outboard powered tunnel hulls.
(Reprinted from Speed Boat Developments from the Past Into the Future by Morley S. Smith, Freeville, NY)
Hydroplane History Home Page
This page was last revised Thursday, April 01, 2010 .
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© Leslie Field, 2001

SMITH-Morley - History of Planing Hulls

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