Self-righting concept is widely applied on patrol and rescue boats enabling safe operation in severe conditions; this feature if often specified as 'a must' by operators for such designs. The questions that often stay unanswered are probable conditions of capsize and cost of self-righting solutions. Present paper examines self-righting phenomena from point of view of practicing designer. Self-righting and flooding process is studied for intact and damaged craft conditions, with effect of flooding rates for superstructures and inflatable volumes. Accelerations during capsize and their impact on crew/personnel, design loads on structures of self-righting craft are studied. Equipment and system design are touched upon. Results of scale model testing on surf are presented showing capsize conditions and measured capsize parameters. Recommendations are provided for self-righting measures, sample design briefs are presented for different types of self-righting craft.
展开▼