Effects of side keels on patrol vessel safety in astern waves

Planing hull vessel is well-known to have the problem of low damping and susceptible to large roll angles when encountering beam seas especially when stopped or operated at low speed. One approach to reduce this problem is to incorporate a pair of side keels. The effects of the side keels on both roll damping and resistance of a planing hull patrol vessel were experimentally evaluated by varying length, breadth and the position of the side keels. Tests data of the side keels have been presented on the roll damping coefficients and the resistance forces of the vessel. Next, the roll damping coefficients were utilised in time domain simulation program based on a six-degree-of-freedom mathematical model to predict the roll response and assess the vessel safety in astern waves for the case with and without the side keels. The results from the time domain simulation program have indicated that the effects of a pair of side keels can improve the vessel safety.