Seakeeping - Factors Affecting Seakeeping

Factors Affecting Seakeeping

A number of factors affect seakeeping or how correctly the ship responds.

• Size : A larger ship will generally have lower motions than a smaller one. This is because the relative size of the waves is lower.
• Displacement : A heavier ship will generally have lower motions than a lighter one. Given that the wave energy is the same for each vessel and provides the exciting force, the one with the greater mass will have the lower accelerations.
• Stability: A stable ship will tend to follow the wave profile closer than a less stable one. This means that a more stable ship will generally have higher accelerations but lower amplitudes of motion.
• Freeboard : The greater a vessel's freeboard the less likely it is to immerse the deck. Deck immersion is often a seakeeping criterion, as it affects mission capability in a number of ships.
• Human factor: Often the most critical factors in seakeeping especially in small vessels are the experience and skills of the crew in extreme situations. Allied to these are avoiding seasickness, getting sufficient sleep, food and drink and staying injury free for the duration of an extreme event.