{"id":32608,"date":"2014-12-02T08:36:17","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T13:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=32608"},"modified":"2017-07-13T11:45:39","modified_gmt":"2017-07-13T16:45:39","slug":"ultimate-stability-intact-and-damaged-how-do-you-know-you-will-be-safe-updated-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/ultimate-stability-intact-and-damaged-how-do-you-know-you-will-be-safe-updated-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Motor Yacht Stability, Comfort, and Safety – An Updated Compilation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"EnRoute<\/p>\n

When you head offshore your safety depends on stability, both upright and ultimate (the heel angle at which you don’t recover from a knockdown). Given today\u2019s software and computing power, calculating stability is a relatively straightforward exercise. This is required for commercial vessels, larger yachts, and generally for any flag state\/class certification such as MCA, RINA, ABS, etc. We would not go offshore without this data, and we don\u2019t think you should either.<\/p>\n

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The lead photo was taken aboard the FPB 83\u00a0Wind Horse<\/em> during a blow gusting to 50 knots, after the front had passed, leaving seas from multiple directions. The wave in the background is 25-30 feet\/7.5-9 meters. For a video of this passage see the link at the end of this post.<\/p>\n

Knowing the capabilities of your yacht, its strengths and<\/em> its weaknesses, leads to better decision making. A key part of this is the stability data and how it is affected by payload. Checking stability is a simple process. There are numerous design and engineering firms who can organize this for you. If you are building or buying a new or used yacht for offshore cruising, insist on proper stability figures. If you are low on ultimate stability, which does occur, ballast can be added to improve the situation.<\/p>\n

\"Gray-Wolf-Needles-Overfalls-3rd-breaker_\"<\/p>\n

We want to start out with two example videos. The first is some fascinating footage taken aboard FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf<\/em> in tide against wind generated seas (overfalls), with the stabilizers off. <\/em>She is\u00a0testing what could be the ultimate survival storm tactic, jogging into breaking seas. This took place recently off the Needles near the Isle of Wight in the UK’s Solent, in a southwesterly gale, in shallow water, outside the marked channel off the Isle of Wight. The closely spaced breaking seas are similar to the breakers on top of larger waves in open ocean storms.<\/p>\n

In terms of heavy weather, possibly even a survival storm, we have always assumed that in most cases, if headed towards a favorable destination, we\u2019d run off before a real blow\u2026until we ran out of steering control. At this point it would be time to turn around and jog into the breaking seas.<\/p>\n