The present invention relates to a hull for a water craft. More particularly it relates to an inflatable hull with flexible tension members acting in tension, and extending between the gunnels to aid in maintaining the hull shape in operation.

Provided is a hull of a boat including a central portion of a bottom of the hull, side portions of the bottom of the hull, lateral to the central portion of the bottom of the hull, the central portion of the bottom of the hull being substantially lowered in a substantially discontinuous way with respect to the side portions of the bottom of the hull, central side walls separating the central portion of the bottom of the hull from the side portions of the bottom of the hull. The hull also having external side walls laterally external to the side portions of the bottom of the hull.

Provided is a hull of a boat including a central portion of a bottom of the hull, side portions of the bottom of the hull, lateral to the central portion of the bottom of the hull, the central portion of the bottom of the hull being substantially lowered in a substantially discontinuous way with respect to the side portions of the bottom of the hull, central side walls separating the central portion of the bottom of the hull from the side portions of the bottom of the hull. The hull also having external side walls laterally external to the side portions of the bottom of the hull.

The invention relates to boat building and can be used in the building and modification of sea-going high-speed keeled monohull sailboats or sail and motor boats with a high sail power to weight ratio, where a single, narrow, wave-penetrating displacement hull is used. To provide for the stable controlled movement of a keeled monohull sailboat or sail and motor boat in wave penetration mode, i.e. in a low wave/hydrodynamic resistance displacement mode, both when heeling and when upright (at the same time effectively counteracting heeling and rocking on all courses), and to provide for the damping of the energy of a broken wave and also for the ability of the boat to self-right to an even keel from a sail-on-water position, a stabilized hull for a keeled monohull sailboat or sail and motor boat is configured with an overall width of not more than 50% of the length of the hull and has, in the bottom part thereof, a vertically oriented narrow section (4) of low wave/hydrodynamic resistance, which runs longitudinally along the full length of the boat, is symmetrical about the centreline thereof and has a displacement segment (5) comprising a keel (8) with a heavy bulb, wherein the displacement of the segment is equal to the full unladen weight of the boat. The hull further comprises two narrow longitudinally oriented sponsons (6 and 7), arranged symmetrically in relation to the centreline of the boat, which do not bear the weight of the boat and which have a streamlined shape of low wave/hydrodynamic resistance. Said sponsons are situated above the waterline at the maximum width of the hull, forming two tunnel cavities (10) above the waterline to dampen the energy of a wave broken by the bow and the sponsons.

The invention relates to boat building and can be used in the building and modification of sea-going high-speed keeled monohull sailboats or sail and motor boats with a high sail power to weight ratio, where a single, narrow, wave-penetrating displacement hull is used. To provide for the stable controlled movement of a keeled monohull sailboat or sail and motor boat in wave penetration mode, i.e. in a low wave/hydrodynamic resistance displacement mode, both when heeling and when upright (at the same time effectively counteracting heeling and rocking on all courses), and to provide for the damping of the energy of a broken wave and also for the ability of the boat to self-right to an even keel from a sail-on-water position, a stabilized hull for a keeled monohull sailboat or sail and motor boat is configured with an overall width of not more than 50% of the length of the hull and has, in the bottom part thereof, a vertically oriented narrow section (4) of low wave/hydrodynamic resistance, which runs longitudinally along the full length of the boat, is symmetrical about the centreline thereof and has a displacement segment (5) comprising a keel (8) with a heavy bulb, wherein the displacement of the segment is equal to the full unladen weight of the boat. The hull further comprises two narrow longitudinally oriented sponsons (6 and 7), arranged symmetrically in relation to the centreline of the boat, which do not bear the weight of the boat and which have a streamlined shape of low wave/hydrodynamic resistance. Said sponsons are situated above the waterline at the maximum width of the hull, forming two tunnel cavities (10) above the waterline to dampen the energy of a wave broken by the bow and the sponsons.

The invention relates to a method for producing or designing a leading edge of a lifting structure, wherein starting at the midpoint of the base (0,0), a curve is applied to the profile of the structure, the length L.sub.1 of which is according to the maximum thickness of the NACA section in the base of the profile H.sub.0 in the base and is defined by the equation L.sub.1=0.0510H.sub.0.sup.20.0790H.sub.0+15.5790, and the maximum height of which on the x-axis is located at point L.sub.1/2 and defined by means of the relationship x=0.0137(L.sub.1).sup.1.4944, the shape of said curve being defined by means of the equation: (yy.sub.0)=0.0000000107x.sup.6+0.0000016382x.sup.50.0000794412x.sup.4+0.0010194142x.sup.3+0.0097205322x.sup.2+0.0136993913x, and the rest of the curve being calculated by means of an iterative process according to the above.

A cooling system for a boat includes at least one cooler located inside a hull of the boat and closed to the exterior of the hull. The cooler is configured for the exchange of thermal energy between a flow of coolant in the at least one cooler and a fluid flow outside of the hull via a hull wall positioned between the flow of coolant and the fluid flow. One or more coolant passages extend from the at least one cooler defining at least one coolant loop. The one or more coolant passages are configured to deliver the flow of coolant from the at least one cooler to one or more components located along the at least one coolant loop to cool the one or more components, and return the flow of coolant to the at least one cooler.

A cooling system for a boat includes at least one cooler located inside a hull of the boat and closed to the exterior of the hull. The cooler is configured for the exchange of thermal energy between a flow of coolant in the at least one cooler and a fluid flow outside of the hull via a hull wall positioned between the flow of coolant and the fluid flow. One or more coolant passages extend from the at least one cooler defining at least one coolant loop. The one or more coolant passages are configured to deliver the flow of coolant from the at least one cooler to one or more components located along the at least one coolant loop to cool the one or more components, and return the flow of coolant to the at least one cooler.

A keel canting mechanism for a sailing vessel having a hull, a keel and a mast is disclosed. The mechanism comprises a worm gear co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the vessel about which the keel rotates during a canting movement. There is a double enveloping worm in mesh with the worm gear and means for driving the worm. The worm gear is fast with the keel and, when rotated by the worm, displaces the keel through a canting movement. The gear has a plurality of holes in it into which pins can be inserted to lock the gear, and hence the keel, in the position to which it has been moved by the worm.

The present invention relates broadly to an unmanned surface vessel (10) comprising a hull (12), an underwater appendage (14), a winch (16), and a cable or rope (18). The cable or rope (18) is at its distal end attached to a remote device (20) with the cable or rope (18) arranged to cooperate with the winch (16) to be deployed and retrieved from the vessel (10) via operation of the winch (16). The underwater appendage is in the form of a keel including a cavity (22) designed to partly locate the winch (16).