the-BA : Staying afloat

Back in 1987 a roll-on roll-off ferry, named the "Herald of Free Enterprise", capsized. Nearly 200 people lost their lives in the disaster, which unfolded in a mere 90 seconds. 850 people died seven years later when the Estonia ferry sank. Both tragedies were caused by problems with the bow doors not shutting properly, and in 1999 new rules were brought in to improve the safety on ferries.

Have you ever wondered how boats stay afloat?

You might like to …

• carry out some research into boat design (from small sail boats to large cruise ships); find out what sorts of shapes they are, what they’re made of, how big they are, how heavy they are, etc.
• investigate buoyancy; work out which shapes are best for buoyancy
• build model boats to investigate factors such as speed, steering and stability; change things such as the shape of the hull, the number of hulls, the depth of the hull(s)
• build a model boat that can have interchangeable sails, so you can investigate the differences between sail sizes and shapes (for example, which is fastest? how much wind is needed to make the boat move?)
• design a more efficient baler for a rowing boat
• work out how to change the shape of the wake behind a boat, to make it ideal for waterskiing or wake-boarding.

Further links:
http://home.clara.net/gmatkin/design.htm

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