More and more builders are climbing on to the "Our boat can go
anywhere" bandwagon. Each contends that their version of the perfect
yacht is stronger than floating containers; stronger than just about
anything; stronger than dirt. This brings us back to our initial
question. You’re right, it’s a trick question.
All of us can agree that we want a boat that is capable
of surviving the widest range of unexpected circumstances. The
understandable zeal to try and make things unbreakable however, can
result in a wider range of problems than the one that you are trying to
solve.
Example: increase the hull thickness of our steel boat.
One quarter inch would be good, therefore three-eighths inch should be
better: not necessarily. Although such a change may (I repeat may)
increase the vessel’s survivability in certain very specific
circumstances, it also has several undesirable effects. Problem:
increased thickness means increased weight; performance suffers; more
horsepower is needed; therefore more tankage is needed. Big problem:
though the boat may sustain a greater impact it may not respond as
rapidly when rising to an oncoming wave. Bigger Problem: the increased
weight of the plate and other strengthening items will most likely raise
the boat’s center of gravity. The result is a reduction in the stability
of vessel under all circumstances.
Not to go too Zen, but remember, much of boat design is
balance. Folks knew fifty years ago that you could increase strength
with increased weight, but they also knew it came with a cost. Still
feel "It can’t be too strong"? Contact me. We are adapting a WWII tank
to make it street legal. It gets one mile per gallon at a top speed of
twenty. It’s cramped and smelly, but boy is it safe.
