Shipbuilding

and Onboard Systems

Design
 Design Terminology
• LOA: Length Overall (Length of the vessel
between fore and aft extremities)
• LWL: Length at Waterline (Length along
the waterline)
• Sparred Length (Length overall & any
overhanging parts)
• Beam: Width of the vessel
• Draft:
 Design Concepts
• What is the purpose of the vessel?
– Sail Training?
– Pleasure Yacht?
– Oil Tanker?
• What waters will it sail in?
– Fresh vs. Salt
– Open ocean?
– Great Lakes?
– Inland rivers?
• What size will it be?
• What construction material?
– Wood, steel, fibreglass or something else entirely?
 Design Factors
• Stability

• Watertight Integrity and Subdivision

• Internal Layout

• Rig design

• Engine Selection
 Stability

• The term Stability refers to a vessel’s

tendency to stay upright in the Water
– This is a very important factor for any ship,
particularly a sailing vessel
Center of Buoyancy

The point through which the force of buoyancy

acts vertically upwards (B)

Stability Definitions
Center of Gravity

Center of Gravity (G) is a downward force

Stability Definitions
 Center of Gravity

(G) rises and falls when weights are moved,

added, and/or removed.
Fish

Stability Definitions
Center of Gravity

G
B
Fish

Stability Definitions
 Sails and Stability
• Setting and Dousing of sails expands and
contracts our windage, which translates to
weight.
• Dousing sail will lower our CG, reducing
our angle of heel and improving our
Stability.
• Setting sails will do the opposite.
Unsecured Loads

Live Tank

M
G

B
 Unsecured Loads
This is one of the major reasons we lash Dories,
Anchors and all other Weights!!! (What is the other
reason?)

Notice that the Centre of Gravity got higher as the load shifted.
 Downflooding
• One of the greatest threats to do with
stability and large angles of heel is
downflooding.
– This can occur well before any danger of
capsize. It is when water floods down an
opening and fills the ship. This often results in
a rapid loss of the vessel
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
Downflooding

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Hull
 Watertight Integrity
• This Refers to a vessels ability to prevent
water from getting below.
– A ship could be very unstable, yet have great
W/T integrity, or it could have almost no W/T
integrity and yet be very stable
• This is affected by the placement of
hatches and their design/construction.
– Skylights, ventilators and other openings must
also be kept in mind.
 Watertight Integrity
• Our scuttles are 12” in diameter,
when the edge of our weather decks
are submerged the scuttle is about 2
feet below the Waterline. At this
depth an open scuttle would let in
approx. 3000 Gallons Per Minute
– For reference, the hand bilge pumps
onboard can’t exceed 30 GPM, even
when pumping very quickly.
 Watertight Subdivision
• Bulkheads are in place to divide the ship
into many separate compartments.
• This means that if one compartment is
flooded, either through downflooding or
hull damage, it won’t sink the vessel.
– This requires that Watertight Doors are
always kept shut when not in use.
 Subdivision

Watertight transverse bulkheads up to

bulkhead deck down to the keel

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Subdivision
Subdivision

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Subdivision
Subdivision

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Subdivision
Subdivision

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Subdivision
Subdivision

Maintaining W/T Integrity - Vessel

Subdivision
 Damaged Stability
• Note that a vessel with one or more
compartments flooded experiences
detrimental changes to her stability.
– This means that even with other safety
features in place a chain of events can be
started that will still result in the loss of the
vessel.
• It is best to ensure the chain never
begins
Marques, 1984
 Marques, 1984
• Lost due to stability Issues:
– Large rig and too little ballast (Rig had been added to,
but ballast had not been increased to counteract)
– Large open hatch in centre of ship
– Freeing-ports secured, meaning water could not flow
off deck quickly enough
• Knocked down and downflooded during an ASTA
race off the East Coast in the middle of the night
• Sank in less than 1 minute, 19 of 28 crew were
lost including the Captain, his wife and their
infant son.
Pride of Baltimore, 1986
 Pride of Baltimore, 1986
• Lost due to stability issues:
– Offset hatches
– Low freeboard
– No watertight bulkheads
– Very large rig and not enough ballast gave her
a high Centre of Gravity
• She was knocked down during a storm in
1986, she downflooded rapidly. 4 people
were lost.
 Safety Measures
to do with Downflooding
• Hatches: Should be shut at night and in heavy weather. If unsure,
shut it!

• Skylights: Leeward ones should always be shut, windward ones

should be shut at night and in heavy weather. If in doubt, shut it!

• Ventilators: Should be shut in heavy weather, know where they are

and how to shut them. If unsure, shut it!

• Watertight Doors: Only open them when going through. Should be

shut and dogged whenever not in use. Always shut after use!

• At any time the Master may order the hatches, skylights, vents,
and W/T doors to be shut and remain that way. If this order is
given, then obey it promptly.
 Ship Design and Layout
• Thought needs to be given to many different aspects of a
ship, each area needs to be large enough to be useful,
but shouldn’t take up too much space by itself.
– Living Spaces
– Machinery Spaces
– Galley
– Storage
– Tankage
– Other Potential Compartments:
• Nav. Station
• Classrooms
• Work and maintenance areas
• Cargo Space
 Rig Design
• A big factor in rig design is what kind of
sailing vessel you want. The differences
can be huge
– 12 Meter (America’s Cup)
– Volvo Ocean Racer
– 200’ Barque
– 40’ Cruising Yacht

Which rig style do our vessels most resemble?

 Rig Design
• A lot of what is discussed these days is
upwind performance and speed.
– Other factors, such as safety, redundancy and
simplicity are often forgotten
• It is important to know exactly what you
want out of your vessel before you start
designing it
 Rig Design
• A well designed rig is one that is an integral part
of a sailing vessel, it needs to be in the
designer’s mind from Day One. If it is just added
onto an already designed hull then many
problems can occur.

• Important points of consideration:

– Lead of lines
– Placement of spars
– Swing room for booms, gaffs and yards
– Chain plate and lug placement/angles
– Strength/weight of materials used
– Strength of attachment points
 Rig Failure
• Rig failure is caused by one of three things:
– Poor design
– Poor maintenance
– Impact or structural failure (such as a collision)
• To prevent rig failures:
– Ensure a good design
– Ensure a good maintenance schedule, with regular
inspections.
– Don’t run into things! (Also, only install parts that you
trust. A cheap shackle can bring down an entire rig.)
 Rig Failure
Pogoria, 2009

Pride Of Baltimore II, 2005

Kruzenshtern, 2009

Wha’ Happen’?
 Engine Selection
• The two main fuel choices are diesel or
gas. Both are petroleum products, but gas
is more refined than diesel.

•This means that gas ignites at a lower

temperature.
•This basic, but major, difference is what
is responsible for the differences
between gas and diesel engines.
 Engine Selection
• Diesel • Gas
– Heavier engine – Lighter engine
– More efficient as they – More efficient in
get bigger smaller engines
– Simpler to maintain – Require more attention
– Diesel fuel is much – Gas fumes can ignite
less flammable, easily, even at low
therefore safer temperatures

Due to the safety considerations alone, Transport

Canada asks that all STV’s be equipped with
diesel as opposed to gas engines.
 Engine Selection
• The size and horsepower of an engine
also affect selection. A sailboat generally
has a smaller engine for a given size than
an equivalent powerboat.

Pathfinder’s Volvo Playfair’s Detroit Diesel

Construction
 Lofting
• Lofting is the process of
drawing out each piece of
the ship in full, and then
building the piece from
this pattern.
• This is so that mistakes
are not made when
converting plans into full
size objects. Calculations
or measurements can be
very easily messed up,
but this ensures a good
fit.
 Laying the Keel
• Mid to Large-Size vessels, built of wood or
metal, are constructed in a similar manner:
– The keel is laid first
– Stem and sternpost are then added
 Framing
• Frames are added along the length of the ship
Basic Method of Construction
• Finally, the
skin is added
• This might be
planking,
plating or
sheathing,
depending on
material used
 Construction Materials
• There are 5 basic materials used in modern ship
construction
– Steel
– Aluminum
– Wood (Traditional and Moulded)
– Ferro-Cement
– Fibreglass/GRP/FRP

• Typically moulded wood, fibreglass and ferro-

cement do not use traditional construction
methods. They have methods specific to each
type.
 Steel
• Very strong, easy to work with provided proper
training and equipment are available
• Before welding, which was invented in the early
1900’s, vessels were riveted. Kajama is an
example of a riveted ship
• Nowadays all ships are welded (including
Pathfinder and Playfair)
Steel Continued
•Welding is a very quick,
cheap and easy way to
construct a high strength
vessel
•It allows for easy modifiying
and repair, with basic tools
•Steel corrodes over time, but
modern coatings are very
effective
 Aluminum
• Very light, very expensive
• Worked in basically the
same way to steel, but
welding it requires special
equipment and training
which leads to higher
production and maintenance
costs
• Lower place on Galvanic
Table than steel. Aluminum
is a lot more susceptible to
electrolysis and corrosion,
so more care must be taken
 Wood (Traditional)
• Very laborious, requires high skill level for
quality construction and repairs
• Creates beautiful, unique vessels
 Moulded Construction
• A mould is constructed to build the ship on.
• This might be a concave mould, where the material
fills in the mould
• Or it could be a convex mould where the material is
spread overtop of it
 Wood (Moulded)
• Uses strips of wood
and lots of glue
between layers.
Sometimes fibreglass
is used between
layers as well
• Creates a very strong
form, with lots of
opportunity for unique
design
• Difficult to modify and
repair
 Ferro-Cement
• A steel mesh (the Ferrous part) is used to
construct a mold. This mold is covered in
layer upon layer of cement
• This method is relatively cheap, relatively
easy and allows some very intricate
designs
• It can be strong if done well, some Ferro-
Cement boats are still afloat after almost
100 years!
• It can also be a very unsafe method if
done improperly, and good hull
inspections are next to impossible
 Fibreglass/FRP/GRP
• Cheap, especially for
production of a lot of
one design
• Pretty easy and cheap
to maintain
• Not at all traditional
 Launching
• When building a boat the launching must be kept in mind. This is
especially true for larger vessels.
• There are three basic methods:
– Crane
– Slide in sternways
– Slide in sideways
Onboard Systems
 Onboard Systems
• Electrical
• Stove Fuel
• Fresh Water
• Grey Water
• Black Water
• Machinery Systems
 Tankage Layout
STV Pathfinder

(Tank sizes and shapes are approximate)

 Electrical Generation
and Storage
• Both our ships have battery banks which store electricity.
The battery bank is not large, and the more power we
use the more we need to run the engine to charge the
batteries.
– This adds to wear on the engine, and it is really, really annoying
to run the engine while we are having a great sail or sitting in an
otherwise pristine anchorage.
• This is why it is important to not use more power than is
necessary and never plug anything without permission.
This includes:
– Cell phone chargers
– Stereos
– iPod chargers
 Electrical Safety
• In general, as PO’s you will not be doing
anything involving electricity. It is still important
to know how to be safe around it.
– If a breaker is tripping, do not try to force it open, it will
allow itself to be reset when it is ready.
– If a cord is in the water, pull it out. This includes the
shorepower cord.
– If something is creating sparks, let an officer know.
 Propane Safety
• Propane is an explosive gas, and
it is heavier than air, meaning it
will sink down low and sit around
if not properly aired out.
• Make sure that burners and the
stove light quickly, and do not let
them go out.
• Always turn the tank off when not
in use.
• Do not ignore the sniffer alarm.
Bring it to the attention of an
officer.
 Fresh Water Systems
• Fresh (potable) water is the stuff we drink.
It sits in large tanks and is drawn out by a
pump when necessary.

• It is important not to waste water

– We don’t want our schedule dictated by when
we need to fill up freshwater.
 Sea Water Systems
• Sea Water comes from all
around the ship, it is the water
we float in. For our vessels we
use it in the heads, the head
sinks, to cool the engine and for
the firehose.
– This water comes in through
Seacocks, which are large valves
piercing the hull. All of our seacocks
are in the E/R. Putting all of our
‘holes’ in one compartment is an
important safe design feature.
 Waste Water Systems
• Grey Water, also known as ‘Sinkwaste’ is the waste
water from sinks. On other boats this could also include
showers, washing machines and any other modern
amenities that generate waste water.
– Grey water collects in a holding tank, but is then pumped
Overboard. The reason for the tank is so that there isn’t a bunch
of different individual discharges piercing the hull, instead there
is just one.

• Blackwater comes from the Heads. It collects in a tank

which is then pumped out by septic trucks or at marinas.
It is illegal to discharge Blackwater in the Great Lakes
– Do not pump any non-sewage down the heads (Vomit is not
sewage!) If we fill up our tanks we need to find a port to pumpout
in.
 Machinery Systems
• All engines, whether diesel or gasoline have a
few basic requirements to ensure that they
operate properly:
– Cooling System (usually water, as opposed to air-
cooled).
– Fuel Supply Systems.
– Ventilation System, required to continue providing
cool air for both combustion and cooling. An exhaust
vent is also needed to expel the hot, dirty air which is
in the engine room.
– Exhaust System, required to expel the exhaust from
the engine itself and carry it outside the ship.
FIN