On A New Tack

Tech Article posts are those that came about because of something I was writing in a more typical blog entry and decided to break out as a reference item. Hull speed is nautical speak for maximum theoretical speed for a "displacement" boat. A boat is basically just plopped into a body of water and displaces an amount of water equal to the weight of the boat.  A boat's weight and it's displacement are the same.  That is true for every boat that is not moving. Once you add movement, that can change. A displacement hull is the name used to signify a boat design where the hull just pushes water as the boat moves. The fastest a displacement hull boat can move (Hull Speed) is determined with the formula: HS = 1.34 * SQRT(LWL) HS is the Hull Speed in Nautical Miles per Hour, aka knots   LWL is the  L ength at the  W ater  L ine in ft. As an example, as 38' monuhull sailboat, may have a 33' LWL.  Therefore, the Hull Speed for this b...