Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction and repair of ships. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle. Preliminary design of the vessel, its detailed design, construction, trials, operation and maintenance, launching and dry-docking are the main activities involved.
Hydrostatics concerns the conditions under which the vessel is subjected to while at rest in water and its ability to remain afloat. This involves computing buoyancy, (displacement) and other hydrostatic properties.
Trim - refers to the longitudinal inclination of the vessel.
Stability - Ability of a vessel to restore itself to an upright position after being inclined by wind, sea, or conditions of loading.
Hydrodynamics concerns the flow of water around the ship's hull and over bodies such as propeller blades or rudder, or through thruster tunnels.
- Resistance - resistance towards motion in water primarily caused due to flow of water around the hull.
- Powering calculation is done based on this.
- Propulsion - to move the vessel through water using propellers, thrusters, water jets, sails etc. even when it's under an angle during sailing or lifted out of the water (planing)
- Ship motions - involves motions of the vessel in seaway and its responses in waves.
- Controllability (manoeuvring) - involves controlling and maintaining position and direction of the vessel
Dick Zaal has extensive experience in hydrostatic studies which can be in your advantage when you are in need of a custom keel or rudder. His involvement with the towing tank of the technical university of Delft makes it that there are no surprises in your project.