Stability

Objectives
Understanding the stability for a sailing
ship.
Discovering how the parameters are
used during the design.
Difference between types of ship

Very important because big

inclining moment
2

2 types of stability
Weight stability :

the object is stable because the

centre of gravity is under the the
centre of buyancy
(example : submarine)

Shape stability :

the object is stable because the

centre of buyancy moves a lot
(example : pontoon)

2 types of
stability
(2)
At small angle :
Big righting
moment
Small righting
moment

At big angle :

Big righting
moment

Small righting
moment

2 types of stability (3)

A barge or a cargo : more shape
stability because small heel angle

But a sailing ship has bigger heel angle,

so weight stability is needed.
And the power depends on the GZ, so shape
stability is also needed

2 types of stability (4)

Wide hull for

shape stability

A important weight
for weight stability

Dinghy
Equilibrium position :

No keel so no weight under the

keel
Very light
Possibility of trapeze

Dinghy (2)
The crew is a big proportion of the weight.
This weight is moving (trapeze or not), so big righting moment at zero
heel.
Because at big heel angle, the righting moment decreases...

it may happen...

Dinghy (3)
With a trapeze, the righting moment at zero heel is bigger.
Capsize angle is not improved and is smaller than in a cruising ship.

Catamaran
No keel so no weight
Very large
Small draft
Hulls with small volume

So attention to capsize
longitudinaly

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Catamaran (2)
Very straight at equilibrium (only shape stability)
The angle with the GZ max is small, so even with small heel, a catamaran can
capsize.

A cruise catamaran can never be on one hull

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Catamaran (3)
A capsized catamaran is even more stable than the one in good position

The chance to come back in the good position is really small

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Monohull : parameters
2 important parameters :
- the width (for shape stability)
- the weight under the keel (and its position)
Old-fashioned shape : narrow hull
Current shape : wider hull

13

Monohull : parameters (2)

The change in the fashion is not only for the stability.
3 reasons :
- before, the ship were mostly designed for beating, so narrow hull were faster
- people wants a more and more comfortable boat so more volume in a wide boat
- current boat are made for broad reaching

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Monohull : parameters (3)

Freeboard :
A high freeboard
increases the
capsizing angle

15

Monohull : parameters (4)

Effect of the freeboard and the width

16

Monohull : parameters (5)

Roof : a roof with an important volume to decrease the capsized stability

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Stability curve

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Comparison

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How to increase small angle stability ?

For racing boat, 2 ways to
improve small angle stability
(and so increasing the power):
- ballasting
- tipping keel

Attention, don't forget to

change the ballast or the
side of the keel
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What about the rules ?

For pleasure crafts, rules to respect (to have the CE mark) are ISO rules.
For stability, it is the ISO12217.

Different category

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ISO12217
For pleasure crafts, rules to respect (to have the CE mark) are ISO rules.
For stability, it is the ISO12217.

Nummer
Design category
Decking degree

1
A

2
B

Any decking
Entirely decked (see 3.1.8)

Down-flooding openings (see 6.2.1)

Required Down-flooding
height
(by mean of diagram )

yes

yes

yes

yes

3
D

4
CetD

7
CetD

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

Greater or equal than

0,5

0,4

0,3

0,2

0,3

0,2

Greater or equal than

ZH/17

ZH/17

ZH /17

ZH /17

ZH/17

ZH/17

Do not need to be >

1,41

1,41

0,75

0,4

0,75

0,4

Greater or equal than

0,5

0,4

0,3

0,2

0,3

Do not need to be >

1,41

1,41

0,75

0,4

40

40

35

30

14

0,3

0,2

ZH /17

ZH /17

0,75

0,4

0,2

0,3

0,2

0,75

0,4

0,75

0,4

yes

yes

vAW>13

vaw>8

Different category

Down-flooding height
(following appendix A)

Downflooding angle da must be >

Angle of vanishing stability
(6.3.1)
Angle of vanishing stability
(6.3.2)
S tability angle
(6.4)

V must be >
V must also be > et M a

(130-2M )a 100 (130-5M )a 95

3,0
1,5

V must be > buoyancy VB >

90 wLDC/850 75 wLDC/850
as 7.4
as 7.4

Righting test after knocked-down (6.5)

STIX should be >

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23

S ail stiffness test (6.6)

Buoyancy requirement (6.7)
Righting after capsize test (6.8)

M=m/1000

w LDC/1 000

VAW > 11

VAW> 6

wLDC/1 000 w LDC/1 000

yes

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STIX : stability index

STIX
Dynamic stability factor

recovery from
inversion factor

recovery from knockdown

by overcoming water
in the sails factor

displacement-length factor
giving credit for a heavy
displacement
for a given length

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STIX
STIX : stability index

beam-displacement
factor

wind moment representing

the risk of flooding due to a gust

the risk of downflooding

in a knockdown

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STIX : comparison
Comparison of 2 high-sea boats:

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STIX : comparison
Comparison of 2 high-sea boats:
FDL
FKR
Displacement
STIX

Muscadet Pogo
1.11
2.97 [-]
0.7
1.04 [-]
1318
1550 [kg]
16.2
18.69 [-]

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Keep in mind :
A boat beam on to a breaking wave is in
greatest danger of capsize.
A breaking wave
need only be the
same height as
the beam of the
boat to roll it over.
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Just to show...

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Conclusion

A boat can be very safe, with high STIX,...,

she also have to be manoeuvred correctly.
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Bibliography

Le vagnon de la voile, Marcel Oliver, Les ditions du plaisancier

Architecture du voilier, tome 1,2 et 3, Pierre Gutelle, ditions loisirs

nautiques

Principles of yacht design, Lars Larsson and Rolf Eliasson, Adlard

Coles Nautical

The elements of boat strength, Dave Gerr, McGraw Hill

How to design a boat, John Teale, Adlard Coles Nautical

Le cours des Glnans, Seuil

Les voiles, comprendre, rgler, optimiser, Bertrand Chret

Loisirs Nautiques magazine

Ship stability, Van Dokkum, Ten Katen, Koomen, Pinkster, Dokmar

Iso rules (12217)

Internet, for the picture

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