in the air

[Editor]

Okay yes, it is a bulb keel. Is there anything more?

 

[mad]

Removable ends for drug smuggling?

 

[Starboard!!]

The elusive shoal draft bulb keel option?

Judging by the size of it, did they substitute playdough for the lead?

 

[ryley]

why don't they just go back to IOR and fill it with balsa?

Hell at least it's on a powerboat and no sailboat thinks this is a good idea.

They'd be better off with a seakeeper, which actually works and doesn't induce drag.

 

[rmdanko]

if the ends are faired, and the center is caulked.....

doesn't that make, the whole thing faulked ???

 

[stevestv]

side scan sonar?

 

[cmonkey]

it's off center so it's an articulating bulb, "with side scan sonar", on a power boat hull judging by the chine just above his head

 

[ThunderBird]

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/world-s-first-boat-with-air-filled-swinging-bulb-keel-gets-under-way

 

[Starboard!!]

Interesting idea for commercial vessels, but why not just go with the wave-piercing cat concept? Completely impractical for recreational power boats though, because this:

" Dacoma's version is air-filled and computer-controlled, and it swings in a manner tuned to wave action. Known as the Airkeel, it adds about 1.5 meters in draft below the boat, and its lower part is a hollow, oblong compartment filled with air. Its primary target application is for wind farm crew transfer vessels, which need smooth handling for crew comfort. "

 

[Omer]

What does filling with air means as opposed to an empty chamber. I always thought air occupied any empty space unless filled by any other substance.

As i was reading,  first I thought would this be the opposite of providing righting moment not by weight and gravity but swinging it the other way and use buoyancy? It seems not. 

Mind you, to provide enough righting moment by buoyancy, you would need a huge bulb which would probably do more damage to speed than good.

 

[Starboard!!]

Mind you, to provide enough righting moment by buoyancy, you would need a huge bulb which would probably do more damage to speed than good. 

Maybe...  but from a first-principals standpoint, isn't a trimaran using air-filled "bulbs" for stability, rather than the lead filled keels of a monohull? And they are a lot faster.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

My boat is filled with air and so is my dinghy.

 

[Rasputin22]

That must use special and hard to obtain 'High Flotation Air' in order to be effective.

 

[Omer]

Maybe...  but from a first-principals standpoint, isn't a trimaran using air-filled "bulbs" for stability, rather than the lead filled keels of a monohull? And they are a lot faster.

Good point. but you do not stick one of the amas of a trimaran vertically  under the keel  and drag it fully submerged.

 

[Airwick]

That must use special and hard to obtain 'High Flotation Air' in order to be effective.

I guess if they wanted to maximize boyancy it should be a vacuum in there!

But then it would be looking for an excuse to suck water in and the smallest leak would fill it up completely!

Interesting idea though, I can see a couple potential advantage compared to movable ballast inside the boat for stability control (further from CG, doesn't reduce payload or take up much space inside, maybe easier to retrofit?) but also a lot of downside in terms of maintenance, drag, damage when grounding, increased draft...

 

[kent_island_sailor]

The first log they hit........................

 

[fastyacht]

Okay yes, it is a bulb keel. Is there anything more?

That's looking like a sonar array going under a deep vee powerboat.

 

[fastyacht]

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/world-s-first-boat-with-air-filled-swinging-bulb-keel-gets-under-way

OFFS.

Just put Humphree interceptors on it. Roll control.

Or for zero speed, put a gyrostabilizer.

 

[Left Shift]

it's off center so it's an articulating bulb, "with side scan sonar", on a power boat hull judging by the chine just above his head

That's a tape drip line.