The answer is “Not necessarily,” but
it’s difficult to explain this to a newbie, who, just by looking at it, must justifiably
conclude that a wide hull is more difficult to capsize than a narrow one.
Furthermore, a wide hull offers a
lot more accommodation down below for the same overall length, which is
something the yacht brokers like to emphasize.
Without stretching the truth too far, they can also tell a prospective
buyer that a wide boat has tremendous stability.
But that’s only part of the truth. A
boat that is excessively wide has a wonderful amount of initial stability, certainly, but what an ocean-going cruiser has
to consider is ultimate stability —
the ability of a boat to right itself after having been knocked upside down by
a breaking wave.
The point is that a very wide boat
is perfectly happy to stay upside down; and while it’s inverted water may pour
in everywhere — perhaps enough to sink it in a short time.
The narrower the hull, everything
else being equal, the quicker and more surely a boat will right itself from
complete inversion. It’s very unstable when it’s upside down, Of course, if
you’re looking around for a boat capable of crossing an ocean, the yacht broker
is not likely to introduce the subject of capsize in extreme conditions. But
that’s precisely what every would-be cruiser should plan around.
Everything on deck and down below
should be designed and built with a 180-degree knock-down in mind. The chances
of it happening to you are, admittedly, remote. But if it does happen, and you
planned for it, the chances of your surviving are increased immeasurably.
Today’s
Thought
He
that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.— Thomas Fuller
Tailpiece
“Help, there’s a creature destroying
my garden. I think it escaped from the zoo.”“Try to keep calm, madam. Can you describe the animal?”
“Well, it’s big and gray, with large ears. It keeps picking my cabbages with its huge tail — and I can’t tell you where it’s putting them.”
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