User:Dannydangr/sandbox

A motorboat has one engine or more that propel the vessel over the top of the water. Boat engines vary in shape, size and type. Engines are installed either inboard or outboard. Inboard engines are part of the boat construction, while outboatboard engines are secured to the transom and hangs off the back of the boat. Motorboat engines run on gasoline or diesel fuel. Engines come in various types. Engines vary in fuel type such as: gasoline, diesel, gas turbine, rotary combustion or steam. Motorboats are commonly used for recreation or racing. Boat racing is a sport where drivers and engineers compete for fastest boat. The American Powerboat Association (APBA) splits the sport into categories. The categories include: inboard, inboard endurance, professional outboard, stock outboard, unlimited outboard performance craft, drag, modified outboard and offshore. Engines and hulls categorize racing. The two types of hull shape are runabout and hydroplane. Runabout is a v-shape and hydroplane is flat and stepped. The type of hull used depends on the type of water the boat is in and how the boat is being used. Hulls can be made of wood, fiberglass or metal but most hulls today are fiberglass.

High performance speedboats can reach speeds of over 50 knots. Their high speed and performance can be attributed to their hull technology and powerful engine. With a more powerful and heavier engine, an appropriate hull shape is needed. High performance boats include yachts, HSIC (high speed interceptor craft) and racing powerboats.

A V-type hull helps a boat cut through the water. A deep V-hull helps keep the boat’s bow down at low speeds, improving visibility. V-hulls also improve a boat’s speed and maneuvering capabilities. They stabilize a boat in rough conditions.

Hull Type (new heading)
The type of hull depends on the usage and type of water that the boat is being used in. Types of hulls include displacement hulls, vee-bottom hulls, modified vee-bottom hulls, deep-vee hulls and trim tabs for vee-bottom hulls. Hulls can be made of different materials. The three main materials are wood, reinforced fiberglass and metal. Wood hulls may be made of planks or plywood. Fiberglass hulls are reinforced with balsa wood. Metal hulls are either aluminum or steel.

Racing (new heading)
Powerboat racing engine categories for inboard and outboard engines range from 7.5 cu in to 60 cu in. Categories range from 44 cu in to 450 cu in for inboard only. The two types of motorboat races are speed races and predicted-log race. Speed races involve boats with powerful engines competing for quickest time and take place on freshwater bodies of water on a closed course. Races are marked by buoys. For unlimited hydroplanes the race distance ranges from 5 miles to 30 miles. Hydroplanes are drag raced. Predicted-log races involve slow cabin cruisers. Predicted-log races is a competition of planning and carrying out a sea voyage. The contestants evaluate different factors and variables that they will encounter along the way. The contestant with the least error at the end of the race is the winner.

Motorsailers (new heading)
Some motorboats are also sailboats. A whole new set of factors applies when you add a sail. Sailboats with motors can both sail and motor in all conditions. It is a very adaptable vessel. With a motorsailer, there are trade-offs. Motorsailers, like many hybrids, tend to be inefficient in special conditions where either a sail only or motor only boat would be ideal. The deck and superstructure provide a place to man the sails, walk around up top and also determine the amount of living space beneath.

Customization (new heading)
This article in “Boat International” features 6 highly engineered and fancy power yachts. A different author writes each boat review. Kate Lardy starts off her review with a list of stats including:. The captain takes her for a ride in Biscayne Bay off Miami’s coast. Lardy notices that the boat is quite fast as they reach speeds over 45 knots. The Pershing 82 is a power force to be reckoned with, as it shoots water 30 feet into the air. This particular Pershing 82 was custom built with more horsepower and with a top speed of 52.5 knots. They call it the VHP for “very high performance”. Inside the helm Lardy feels relaxed, she cannot even tell that the boat is moving over 50 knots. The vice president of North American sales for the parent company, Ferrari Group, Randy Colman, verifies the phenomenon that Lardy is feeling. He says ‘…poke your head around the corner and you’ll feel it.’ The yacht is powered by two MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines, which generate 2,600 hp each. The top deck features a pop-up navigation system. The boat can turn on a dime at high speeds and provides a smooth ride. The Top System surface drives feature Autotrim which adjust the trim and roll automatically making for an even smoother ride and reducing drag. The drives, engines, deep V-shaped hull and even placement of the furniture all contribute to the 82’s the high speed and smooth ride. The hull is made of ‘one solid piece of fiberglass’, says Coleman. The living spaces feature luxury furniture from Italian and French manufacturers. This article on the Pershing 82 addresses my interest in V-type hulls and how a deep V can help a boat cut smoothly through the water. The geometry of the Pershing’s V hull helps keep the bow down at low speeds, improving the driver’s vision. This article is from a popular magazine. The information I got from this article is unique because it gives a first person experience from a boating layperson. The author of the article gets an interactive tour from an expert and chance to review the yacht.

Military Application (new heading)
A fast craft is a vessel capable of speeds over 30 knots. HSICs (High Speed Interceptor Craft) however, trump fast craft with speeds of over 50 knots. HSICs are usually either custom or law enforcement craft. Law enforcement use these extremely fast boats to catch criminals such as smugglers or drug traffickers who use fast craft as well. The military have started to use HSICs to stop international threats such as pirates, militias, terrorists and weapons traffickers. Originally HSICs were not meant to carry large weapons. Now that the military is using them, they are being built with heavy machine guns. The boats have to be fitted with robust weight control and at the same time have heavy amour. HSICs must do without propellers to account for cavitation and vibrations. Instead HSICs use surface drivers or water jets. This article addresses my interest in different types of boat technology. It helped me understand that the sky is the limit when it comes to boat engineering. This is a scholarly journal. This article provides very unique information on military very high-powered boats.

V-type Hulls. (new heading)
The great things about V-hull powerboats is their speed and capability of maneuvering in severe sea conditions. V-type hull technology is a constantly evolving and improving industry. Manufacturers center their research on advanced engines and drive components. The trade-off is more powerful engines are heavier. V-type hulls were developed to account for the heavier engines. Initially, boat hulls were developed by trial and error. Nowadays the process is controlled, precise and meticulous. Today’s boat hull engineers use structural and aerodynamic modeling. These high tech methods lower design costs and save time. This article was exactly what I was looking for. It touched on both engine size and hull shape. This is a scholarly article.

Engine Swapping (new heading)
Powerboat racing is a 100 year old sport. It originated in the New York City area, where yachts were growing in popularity. In the early twentieth century the original boat races APBA Challenge Cup and the International Harmsworth Race were created. Gar Wood, who made a fortune from his dump truck hydraulic invention also modified water-cooled aircraft engines for use in speed boats. This modification made race boats lighter and faster. The Harmsworth races in Detroit became a spectacle that people came from all over to watch. Due to regulation, Gold Cup boats could not progress in engine size and hull design. Small boats however had the openness to experiment. Over the late 1940s, boats made large progressions in speed and technology. This article addressed my curiosity in the evolution of motorboats. This is a scholarly journal. This source is unique because it tells the history of motorboats.