Engineering Design Philosophy

We at Floating Ohm, when looking to generate an Engineering solution for any particular requirement, always start with the full requirements of the end user. We try always to do this without preconceived ideas, in order to focus on each aspect of the design. We feel strongly that this approach delivers the best set of solutions and compromises for each particular design.

All good hull designs consist of a set of compromises balanced against each other to produce the optimum design for the application.

In the case of developing a design for a new boat for leisure use within the UK canal system, there are a number of key drivers for the engineering solutions. These are:

• The three dimensional constraints of the UK canal system.

• The operating speeds and wash generation profile.

• The particular Clients’ use profile. (For example will the boat only travel in parts of the canal network that allow for a beam greater than 6’10”, or will the Client wish to access the whole network?)

• How will the Client use the completed vessel? (i.e. weekends and short holidays, constant cruising, boat for hire etc.)

• The type of propulsion package preferred, Diesel, Electric, and so on.

It can be very easy (or even seductive) to focus on a single aspect of design. So by way of example, were we to become fixated on the reduction of hull resistance as a primary design driver - we might well produce a hull that would have a major negative impact on some of the other design requirements. This may, for example generate a hull with very ‘fine’ long entry and exit waterlines resulting in a hull with considerably reduced space for accommodation. Or we might produce a deeper hull with accentuated chines which would reduce the overall resistance and might even reduce ‘squat’ ( the negative interaction between the hull base and the canal bottom), however the impact of this approach would also have a negative effect on available volume for accommodation and might well affect perceived initial stability. (produce a ‘wobbly’ boat).

So you can appreciate that there is tension between the many aspects of the design for the hull (shell)  and clearly there is a need to prioritise the importance of each requirement in order to end up with a set of compromises that deliver the best end result.