High Speed Craft Code Review

As part of the UK’s contribution to the IMO HSC2000 review, the Wolfson Unit conducted studies of wind heeling, and of the level of safety provided by the stability criteria, with particular attention to the application of the Code to multihull ships.

Wind Heeling

The wind heeling study entailed an extensive series of wind tunnel tests to provide a better understanding of wind heeling moments and their prediction, and tests in a wind gust facility to examine dynamic responses. The work resulted in revised methods of calculating wind heeling moments, and assessing the level of safety with respect to them.

HSC Wind Heeling Moment Methodology (Phases I & II). (PDF, 12.3MB)

HSC Response to Gusts. (PDF, 4.8MB)

Stability Criteria

The study of stability criteria comprised model tests on a range of monohull and multihull vessels in waves. The tests included intact and damage cases with waves from all headings. The work was unusual in examining the criteria rather than specific vessels, and provided a unique insight into the level of safety they provide. A new safety criterion was developed, relating the size of a vessel and its stability to the seastate.

HSC Evaluation of Existing Criteria. (PDF, 21.8MB)