another one of those maritime myths.

I don't think so.  A boat-- no matter how cleverly it is designed to
accommodate the needs of commercial fishing-- that is not seaworthy
enough to handle the wide variety of conditions that will be encountered
is not much use to anyone.  If you're going to fish the Grand Banks, or
Georges Bank, or the Bering Sea, or the waters off northern Scotland,
you first come up with a boat that can handle those waters and then you
figure out how to make it accommodate the kind of fishing gear you're
going to use.  The primary objective of fisherman, whether they lived in
Greece in whatever-BC or live in Alaska today, is to stay alive while
fishing.  The first line of defense against dying while fishing is to
have a boat that will keep you alive.  The fishing bit comes second to
that.  One of the primary causes of fishing boat losses is owners or
skippers either modifying a seaworthy boat to the point of becoming
unseaworthy under certain conditions, or overloading it in such a way
that it becomes unseaworthy.

Freeboard is not necessarily an indication of seaworthiness.  There are
tugs in this area that work the logging industry that have so little
freeboard aft that even small waves wash over the decks.  But these
boats are as seaworthy as any other.  So the fact that some types of
fishing boats have reduced freeboard to accommodate net or gear handling
is not an indication of less-than-ideal seaworthiness.

C. Marin Faure
GB36-403 "La Perouse"
Bellingham, Washington

On Aug 4, 2006, at 9:10 AM, Faure, Marin wrote:

I agree.

I agree.

Submarines have even less freeboard. ;-)

However, the loss of a Albermarle 35 within the ICW recently
shows that low freeboard has the potential for disaster. The
freeboard of that boat aft is probably more or less equal to
similar sized Grand Banks, Krogens, and so on.

While the Albermarle 35, like the Grand Banks etc,
has a high freeboard forward (even a wide flared bow)
when they stopped due to a minor mechanical problem,
they opened the huge engine hatches in the cockpit sole.
Once no longer moving with steerage, the boat of course
weather vaned around presenting the stern to the seas
which, while only about 2-3 foot chop, was enough to poop
and sink the boat very quickly, killing both experienced
seamen aboard.

Truly watertight hatches are crucial for any deck that
will take green water in difficult conditions, and that
includes any cockpit. Assuming the hatches stay closed.

High freeboard keeps green water of the deck until
conditions really deteriorate.

When it really gets rough, then high freeboard, combined
with low center of gravity, is important -- crucial -- to maintain
a high angle of vanishing stability, to keep the boat from
rolling over.

Low freeboard means the boat can turtle in seas at low
angles of roll, and this is actually made worse by deep hulls
unless the depth of the hull results in a VERY low center of
gravity well below the water plane. Tugs, with their HUGE
mechanical systems, and fishing boats with their huge
holds that are filled with ice and/or fish, are probably the
only powerboats with a center of gravity below the water
plane.

Cruising boats, where the weight is in granite counters,
high headroom pilothouses over walk in engine rooms,
fly bridges, electronic arrays, tenders on the top deck,
clothes in the closets, washer dryers, and so on that
are mounted well above the keel, and especially those
with stylishly high freeboard, never have the center
of gravity lower than the water plane.

Seaworthy boats need freeboard and low center of gravity,
and low freeboard only with the CG well below the water plane.

David Smyth
david_smyth_ogst@mac.com

(805) 501-1406 cell
(818) 393-0275 office
(818) 353-0275 home office

I'd think DeFever would have the data.

On Aug 4, 2006, at 12:30 PM, John Blackburn wrote:

David Smyth
david_smyth_ogst@mac.com

(805) 501-1406 cell
(818) 393-0275 office
(818) 353-0275 home office