Watercraft hulls and parts thereof are disclosed which improve hydrodynamic performance for yachts, sailboards, and other craft. Drag at the transition from displacement mode to planing mode may be reduced to be the same or less than the minimum drag experienced in planing mode. Exemplary embodiments may include a bow with a center planing surface and tunnels to either side. The bow tunnels may each end in a step. At least part of the center planing surface may be cambered. A spoiler and/or interceptor may be provided at an aft end of a camber of a planing surface. For some hulls, the bow is followed by a main lift surface which is followed by a back lift surface (from stem to stern). In the back lift surface behind the main lift surface, a tunnel surface may be provided to add longitudinal stability.

A Method and Apparatus for Planing Boat Ballast System have been disclosed. By using ballast forward of a transverse step forward of the stem and by using a ballast opening in or at a riser of the transverse step, enhanced stability is possible with protection from flooding and with efficiency of ballast admission and release, simplicity of practice, and ease and safety of inspection and cleaning

Various embodiments are disclosed for a stepped cambered planing hull for a boat including a swept back cambered planing surface having a non-linear distribution of camber. The non-linear distribution of camber along the swept back cambered planing surface may enable stepped cambered planing hulls having high deadrise (i.e., greater than 15 degrees). The stepped cambered planing hull may include a shaped hydrofoil that generates further hydrodynamic lift by piercing the free surface wake produced by the swept back cambered planing surface. The stepped cambered planing hull may have external bottom surfaces adapted at the after-body and transom to accommodate a distinctive profile of the free surface wake produced by the swept back cambered planing surface. The stepped cambered planing hull may include an adjustable interceptor blade to regulate hydrodynamic lift at low speeds or to ensure an optimal dynamic trim angle in a wide range of speeds.

A pressurized air cushioned hull with fixed rigid side, front and rear seals. The hull includes a plurality of keels, with an air cushion disposed between inboard walls of each keel and an air cushion created/disposed along the outboard walls of each keel. These air cushions along the outboard walls of the keels are created by angling each keel by about 0.02 to about 1 relative to the longitudinal axis of the hull, wherein the left keel(s) is rotated clockwise and the right keel(s) is rotated counterclockwise, such that a distance between the keels is smaller at the front end of the keels than at the rear end of the keels. This slight angle was found to allow air, rather than water, to contact the outboard walls, unexpectedly reducing drag resistance a significant amount, thus improving performance of the hull as a whole.

A crescent step hull device is disclosed for aluminum or fiberglass pontoon boat hulls to create a less wetted surface to reduce drag for a more fuel-efficient bottom and better performance. The crescent step hull device comprises a body component, which is the hull, that features notches and/or added-on steps to the bottom, thereby introducing air to the wetted surface, which will reduce the surface tension or drag and improve the overall efficiency of the pontoon boat. Specifically, the device comprises 1, 2, 3, or 4 cross-sections cut into (i.e., notched) or added onto each hull from approximately to 4 in size. Thus, the hull can have a notched step, an added-on step, a parallel step, or combinations of the three.

Provided is watercraft hull system, including a hull having a fore end, an aft end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end; a substantially V-shaped portion extending from the fore end toward the aft end along a portion of the longitudinal axis; and a substantially M-shaped portion extending from the V-shaped portion toward the aft end, wherein the V-shaped portion gradually transitions to the M-shaped portion.

The invention relates to a catamaran hull to improve performance characteristics. The catamaran hull comprises a staggered keel and varying deadrise angles to reduce hunting phenomena and improve sea-keeping, handling, and turning abilities of the catamaran. The hull includes a forward keel centered on each sponson, a mid keel moved inward relative to the forward keel, and an aft keel moved inward relative to the mid keel. This catamaran hull provides a solution that reduces undesirable phenomena such as hunting and outward leaning during turns, while improving stability and maneuverability. Overall, it offers enhanced performance in various water conditions through its unique staggered keel configuration and optimized hull geometry.

Method and apparatus of various embodiments of a hydrodynamic design of planing boat or vehicle employing two substantially dihedral planing surfaces featuring cambered hydrodynamic profiles with their base lines, positioned successively along length of the boat and comprising a forward planing surface of swept back plan form and an aft planing surface, which, in order to match conformally the disturbance of water surface generated by the forward planing surface, specifically configured and arranged spatially and angularly relatively the forward planing surface, so that within each vertical longitudinal plane a section of aft planing surface is displaced vertically and its base line is turned relatively the base line of corresponding section of the forward planing surface within the same vertical longitudinal plane by the height and angle of the wave trough generated by the forward planing surface at the location of said section of aft planing surface.