You'll even
be able to find out how comfortable your boat is at sea, compared with other
similar boats, because Carl has built in a motion comfort factor, like the one
designer Ted Brewer invented for fun years ago.
And, more importantly, you can compare capsize factors (boats with factors
under 2.0 are considered safer and less likely to capsize at sea).
The
theoretical speed of each boat is listed, of course, but as it's a formula
based on waterline length it can't possibly tell the whole story of how fast a
boat will go in differing conditions of wind and sea. Nevertheless, when you
compare one boat with another, it gives you a good idea of which is likely to
get back home before the pub closes, and which will be stuck out in the bay
after dark with a crew complaining that they're dying of thirst.
If you'd
like to visit Carl's Sail Calculator, go to http://www.image-ination.com/sailcalc.html
Scroll down
to Part 1 and click on one boat in each column, then click on "make a
chart" just underneath.
There's lots
more information on that site and I leave you to figure it out. Play nicely. Have
fun.
Today's Thought
Science is wonderfully equipped to answer
the question "How?" but it gets terribly confused when you ask the
question "Why?"
— Erwin
Chargaff, professor of Biological Chemistry, Columbia University.
Tailpiece
Police in
Detroit arrested two kids yesterday. One was drinking battery acid, and
the other was swallowing fireworks. They charged one and let the other one off.
(Drop by every
Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a new Mainly about Boats column.)
