"Floyd" wrote in message
...
Why not some mechanism that would consist of another
outer variable hull layer that would be hinged at the chines allowing
the keel portion to move downward to increase deadrise. It would have
a flexible stiff plastic piece at the front to keep water out of the
area between the two hulls. Is this simply too complex for too little
benefit?
The semi-rigid inflatable boats have much of the operational pieces you
would need to test out a variable deadrise hull; i.e, a planing hull and
the inflatable bladders on the sides.

You would take a regular boat hull and build on an extended keel. Take
your semi-rigid hull, cut it in half, attach a hinge to the centerline
and then attach that hinge to the extended keel of the test boat.
Then, by changing the pressure on the bladders, the rigid part of the
add-on hull would be forced down into a flatter bottom with less deadrise.
The beauty of the design is that you could change the deadrise for
existing conditions, and the bladders would add an extra amount of
cushioning from wave hits.
You would of course need to experiment with hull and bladder shapes and
sizes, but it might work.

An energy-saving green hull design like this might be elgible for some of
that stimulus money, no?


Wonder if you could consider the wings that the America's Cup boats have on
the keel as an Active Variable Deadrise device?