On 1 Apr 2004 14:14:21 -0000, Ante Topic Mimara
] wrote:

DUINK writes:

As far as I know displacement = weight.

Somehow, this doesn't sound right to me.

Certainly the weight of the boat will displace the amount of
water with that same weight (hence the term displacement).

If something displaces X pounds of water, it must weigh X - n to
be able to float. It must weigh less than the amount of water it
displaces, else it will have neutral (or worse, negative) buoyancy.

This is Archimedes principle

"a body immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the
weight of the displaced fluid."

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0804583.html

Having said this, how do I determine how much it weighs, from
limited information, without being there to weigh it?

Displacement equals weight.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director
ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________