Stepped Hull Design

Stephen Barr English 202C March 14, 2012

A boat buyers guide to stepped hull design

Audience and Scope of Description

The purpose of this document is to familiarize the reader with what stepped hulls are, how they work, and some of their advantages and disadvantages. This document also includes safety considerations about stepped hulls that the reader should be aware of if they plan to purchase a boat with a stepped hull. The audience of this document would be a potential boat buyer who might prefer to know which hull designs would be best for them. Some boat designers incorporate stepped hulls on boats which are not designed to operate at speeds where stepped hulls are beneficial. They do this as a marketing gimmick, and it is up to the buyer to be aware of whether a stepped hull is necessary for them.

Stepped Hull Designs

A stepped hull is a type of hull design in which a transverse step is installed to improve hull performance, particularly at high speeds. Stepped hulls can be found on boat hulls as well as the pontoons of sea planes. Stepped hulls are a major benefit to many boats; however, it is important to understand how they improve performance to see if they would benefit your particular boat.
Figure 1: Diagram of a step on a boat hull

You can clearly see the step in the hull of the speedboat in Figure 1. The step is located on the bottom of the boat, or hull, under the water line. It is circled in red.

Stepped hull designs are also used on sea plane pontoons. Steps increase the hulls maximum speed which allows the sea plane to reach the speed necessary to take off. Many sea planes cannot reach their takeoff speeds unless they are sitting on their steps. The step also stabilizes the airboat while it is in the water.

Figure 2: Steps on the hulls of a sea plane pontoon

How do stepped hulls work?

Stepped hulls improve the performance of a boat at high speeds by working air between the hull and the water. Steps act to aerate the bottom of the hull which is in contact with the water. This aeration decreases the wetted area of the hull. Less wetted area of the hull results in less resistance, or drag on the boat. Drag is the retarding force on an object in motion. By decreasing the drag, the boat becomes more full efficient.

Figure 3: A multi-stepped hull design showing air ventilation paths

When the boat is traveling at speeds above about 30 knots, the boat will then sit on the step as shown in the figure below.

Figure 4: A stepped hull at low speed

Figure 5: A stepped hull at high speed

When the boat is sitting on the step, air must be channeled through openings on both sides of the hull. These openings are extremely important for the hull to operate properly. The openings must be high enough above the water line of the hull such that air can still be directed through them when the boat is sitting on the step. Some hulls can be designed with more than one step. When a hull has more than one step, there must be unique opening on each side of the hull for each step to be ventilated individually. Stepped hulls, whether mono-stepped or multi-stepped, have increased longitudinal stability at high speeds. This is because the total lift force of the hull is divided among each stepped surface which makes it more difficult to change the direction the boat is traveling. This is a useful property in many boats such as sea planes which are trying to travel unidirectionally during takeoff. On the other hand, it might be an undesirable quality for boats which need to maneuver at high speeds.

Safety
The advantages of having a stepped hull design are undeniable, but the increased performance comes at a cost. Stepped hulls can be extremely unforgiving to a novice or inexperienced operator. When the boat is sitting on its step, it will become very stable in the longitudinal direction. This means that the boat is extremely difficult to maneuver and turn. This can be highly dangerous for an inexperienced operator. Also, it is extremely important to ensure the openings to the steps are not obstructed or under the waterline. If the boat is traveling on its step, and suddenly the water closes up on or both openings to a step, a vacuum will be created on that step. If the openings become closed, the boat will experience an enormous force pulling the boat back. It is also possible that only an opening on one side of the hull could close and then the boat will be pulled back to one side and the boat will spinout.

Advantages
Increases max speed of vehicle in water By working air under the hull which decreases the drag in water, the max speed is increased. Increased Efficiency Since the hull creates less drag than traditional hulls at the same speeds, the stepped hulls require less power to operate at those speeds which means higher fuel efficiency. Increased Stability Because the lift of the hull is spread out among the steps, the longitudinal stability is increased.

Disadvantages
More Expensive The manufacturing costs of a stepped hull are higher than those of a step-less hull. Can increase drag at low speeds At speeds lower than 30 knots, the steps create more drag and a more turbulent wake which increases drag. Decreased Maneuverability Because of the increased longitudinal stability, the boat will be more difficult to maneuver laterally.

A Word of Warning!
As stated previously, stepped hull designs are only desirable when the boat is moving at 30 knots or faster. Obviously, not all boats are designed to operate at these speeds, or the boat might only be designed to reach about 30 knots at full power. Either way, stepped hulls are not a good solution for these types of boats. Unfortunately, some boats that are not meant to travel above 30 knots are still manufactured with stepped hulls purely a marketing gimmick. If one buys a boat that is not capable of traveling at 30 knots, or will not spend most of its time traveling above 30 knots, the boat will have decreased fuel efficiency and increased cost for no gain. It is up to you as a buyer to decide whether you will benefit from this design. If you are someone who wants to travel fast while not sacrificing efficiency, then a stepped hull is the most logical design choice for you. On the other hand, if you are someone looking for a slow family boat, stepped hulls are not an appropriate design choice for you.

Conclusion
Stepped hulls can increase the fuel efficiency and max speed of a boat. Stepped hulls are only effective at increasing fuel efficiency if the boat will spend most of its operating life above 30 knots. If the boat is not capable of traveling faster than 30 knots, a stepped hull will only increase resistance and hurt fuel efficiency. A boat designed with a stepped hull that is not capable of traveling faster than 30 knots may be just a marketing gimmick. It is ultimately up to the buyer to determine whether they will benefit from a stepped hull design. Stepped hulls can also be unforgiving to a novice operator, so it is important to understand the risks and consider safety precautions when operating a boat with a stepped hull.

Sources
http://www.soundingsonline.com/boat-shop/on-powerboats/287360-the-stepped-hull-has-comeof-age http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/yacht-renderings-plans/14713-mike-kajan-yacht-designsii-3.html http://www.parlier.org/beyond_the_sea/eng/realisations.php?rea=3 http://www.navaldesign.co.za/articles/Stepped%20Hulls-%20Feb07.pdf http://www.sternmate.com/Where.html http://www.airports-worldwide.com/articles/article0036.php