Motorboat

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"Motorboating" redirects here. For other uses, see Motorboating (disambiguation)."Speedboat" redirects here. For the novel, see Speedboat (novel).Not to be confused with Motor ship.
A motorboat with an outboard motor Motorboat at Kankaria lake.JPG
A motorboat with an outboard motor

A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats".

Contents

Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit. An inboard-outboard contains a hybrid of an inboard and an outboard, where the internal combustion engine is installed inside the boat, and the gearbox and propeller are outside.

There are two configurations of an inboard, V-drive and direct drive. A direct drive has the powerplant mounted near the middle of the boat with the propeller shaft straight out the back, where a V-drive has the powerplant mounted in the back of the boat facing backwards having the shaft go towards the front of the boat then making a V towards the rear.

Lazzara 80 Sky Lounge enclosed bridge Lazzara 80 Sky Lounge enclosed bridge photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
Lazzara 80 Sky Lounge enclosed bridge

Overview

A motorboat is a small craft with one or more engines for propulsion. Motorboats are commonly used for work, recreation, sport, or racing.

Boat engines vary in shape, size, and type. These include inboard, outboard (integrating, the engine, gearbox, and propeller in one portable unit mounted in the rear), and inboard-outboard (or “sterndrive”, which mounts the engine inboard and the rest outboard).

Fuel types include gasoline, diesel, gas turbine, rotary combustion or steam.

High performance speedboats can reach speeds of over 50 knots. [1] Their high speed and performance can be attributed to their hull technology and engine. With a more powerful and heavier engine, an appropriate hull shape is needed. [2] High performance boats include yachts, HSIC (high speed interceptor craft) and racing powerboats.

A V-type hull helps a boat cut through the water. A deep V-hull helps keep the boat's bow down at low speeds, improving visibility. V-hulls also improve a boat's speed and maneuvering capabilities. They stabilize a boat in rough conditions.

History

Invention

Model of the first motor boat constructed by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1886 Stuttgart-cannstatt-daimler-boot-neckar-1886.jpg
Model of the first motor boat constructed by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1886

Although the screw propeller had been added to an engine (steam engine) as early as the 18th century in Birmingham, England, by James Watt, boats powered by a petrol engine only came about in the later part of the 19th century with the invention of the internal combustion engine.

The earliest boat to be powered by a petrol engine was tested on the Neckar River by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1886, when they tested their new "longcase clock" engine. It had been constructed in the former greenhouse (converted into a workshop) in Daimler's back yard. [3] [4] The first public display took place on the Waldsee in Cannstatt, today a suburb of Stuttgart, at the end of that year. [5] The engine of this boat had a single cylinder of 1 horse power. Daimler's second launch in 1887 had a second cylinder positioned at an angle of 15 degrees to the first one, and was known as the "V-type".

The first successful motor boat was designed by the Priestman Brothers in Hull, England, under the direction of William Dent Priestman. The company began trials of their first motorboat in 1888. [6] The engine was powered with kerosene and used an innovative high-tension (high voltage) ignition system. The company was the first to begin large scale production of the motor boat, and by 1890, Priestman's boats were successfully being used for towing goods along canals. [7]

Another early pioneer was Mr. J. D. Roots, who in 1891 fitted a launch with an internal combustion engine and operated a ferry service between Richmond and Wandsworth along the River Thames during the seasons of 1891 and 1892. [8]

The eminent inventor Frederick William Lanchester recognized the potential of the motorboat and over the following 15 years, in collaboration with his brother George, perfected the modern motorboat, or powerboat. Working in the garden of their home in Olton, Warwickshire, they designed and built a river flat-bottomed launch with an advanced high-revving engine that drove via a stern paddle wheel in 1893. In 1897, he produced a second engine similar in design to his previous one but running on benzene at 800 r.p.m. The engine drove a reversible propeller. An important part of his new engine was the revolutionary carburettor, for mixing the fuel and air correctly. His invention was known as a "wick carburetor", because fuel was drawn into a series of wicks, from where it was vaporized. He patented this invention in 1905. [8]

The Daimler Company began production of motor boats in 1897 from its manufacturing base in Coventry. The engines had two cylinders and the explosive charge of petroleum and air was ignited by compression into a heated platinum tube. The engine gave about six horse-power. The petrol was fed by air pressure to a large surface carburettor and also an auxiliary tank which supplied the burners for heating the ignition tubes. Reversal of the propeller was effected by means of two bevel friction wheels which engaged with two larger bevel friction wheels, the intermediate shaft being temporarily disconnected for this purpose. It was not until 1901 that a safer apparatus for igniting the fuel with an electric spark was used in motor boats. [8]

Expansion

Dorothy Levitt won the first Harmsworth Cup, driving the Napier motor yacht in 1903 Dorothy Levitt driving the Napier motor yacht 1903.jpg
Dorothy Levitt won the first Harmsworth Cup, driving the Napier motor yacht in 1903

Interest in fast motorboats grew rapidly in the early years of the 20th century. The Marine Motor Association was formed in 1903 as an offshoot of the Royal Automobile Club. Motor Boat & Yachting was the first magazine to address technical developments in the field and was brought out by Temple Press, London from 1904. Large manufacturing companies, including Napier & Son and Thornycroft began producing motorboats. [7]

Early racing

The first motorboating competition was established by Alfred Charles William Harmsworth in 1903. The Harmsworth Cup was envisioned as a contest between nations, rather than between boats or individuals. The boats were originally to be designed and built entirely by residents of the country represented, using materials and units built wholly within that country. [9]

The first competition, held in July 1903, at Cork Harbour in Ireland, and officiated by the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, was a very primitive affair, with many boats failing even to start. [9] The competition was won by Dorothy Levitt in a Napier launch designed to the specifications of Selwyn Edge. This motorboat was the first proper motorboat designed for high speed. [6] She set the world's first water speed record when she achieved 19.3 mph (31.1 km/h) in a 40-foot (12 m) steel-hulled, 75-horsepower Napier speedboat fitted with a three-blade propeller. As both the owner and entrant of the boat, "S. F. Edge" was engraved on the trophy as the winner. [10]

John Hacker's 1911 Kitty Hawk was the fastest boat in the world between 1911 and 1915 Hacker Kitty Hawk 1911.jpg
John Hacker's 1911 Kitty Hawk was the fastest boat in the world between 1911 and 1915

An article in the Cork Constitution on 13 July reported "A large number of spectators viewed the first mile from the promenade of the Yacht Club, and at Cork several thousand people collected at both sides of the river to see the finishes." [11] [12] [13] Levitt was then commanded to the Royal yacht of King Edward VII where he congratulated her on her pluck and skill, and they discussed the performance of the motorboat and its potential for British government despatch work. [14] [15]

France won the race in 1904, and the boat Napier II set a new world water speed record for a mile at almost 30 knots (56 km/h), winning the race in 1905.

The acknowledged genius of motor boat design in America was the naval architect John L. Hacker. His pioneering work, including the invention of the V-hull and the use of dedicated petrol engines revolutionized boat design from as early as 1908, when he founded the Hacker Boat Co. In 1911, Hacker designed the Kitty Hawk, the first successful step hydroplane which exceeded the then-unthinkable speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) and was at that time the fastest boat in the world. The Harmsworth Cup was first won by Americans in 1907. [9] The US and England traded it back and forth until 1920. From 1920 to 1933, Americans had an unbroken winning streak. Gar Wood won this race eight times as a driver and nine times as an owner between 1920 and 1933.

Hull type

From a design point of view, a boat’s hull type reflects its use and the waters it will be used it. These include displacement hulls, vee-bottom hulls, modified vee-bottom hulls, deep-vee hulls and trim tabs for vee-bottom hulls. The three main hull materials are wood, reinforced fiberglass and metal. Wood hulls may be made of planks or plywood. Fiberglass hulls are reinforced with balsa wood. Metal hulls are either aluminum or steel. [16] Some gross configurations of motorboats include skiff, day cruiser, bow rider, pilothouse and cabin cruiser. These vary by such considerations as size, whether they have a deck, cabin, head, is sail, helm position, and additional seating. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go-fast boat</span> Type of boat

A go-fast boat is a small, fast powerboat designed with a long narrow platform and a planing hull. Depending on definitions used, it is either a speedboat (synonymously) or a certain type of speedboat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offshore powerboat racing</span> Type of racing by ocean-going powerboats

Offshore powerboat racing is a type of racing by ocean-going powerboats, typically point-to-point racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yacht</span> Recreational boat or ship

A yacht is a sail- or motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a yacht, as opposed to a boat, such a pleasure vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and may have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric boat</span> Type of watercraft

An electric boat is a powered watercraft driven by electric motors, which are powered by either on-board battery packs, solar panels or generators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outboard motor</span> Self-contained propulsion system for boats

An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method of propelling small watercraft. As well as providing propulsion, outboards provide steering control, as they are designed to pivot over their mountings and thus control the direction of thrust. The skeg also acts as a rudder when the engine is not running. Unlike inboard motors, outboard motors can be easily removed for storage or repairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. Napier & Son</span> British engineering company

D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engineering company best known for its luxury motor cars in the Edwardian era and for its aero engines throughout the early to mid-20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runabout (boat)</span> Boat type

A runabout is any small motorboat holding between four and eight people, well suited to moving about on the water. Characteristically between 20' and 35' in length, runabouts are used for pleasure activities like boating, fishing, and water skiing, as a ship's tender for larger vessels, or in racing. Some common runabout types are bow rider, center console, cuddy boat and walkaround. The world's largest runabout, Pardon Me, is 48 feet long and owned by the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydroplane (boat)</span> Type of motorboat

A hydroplane is a fast motorboat, where the hull shape is such that at speed, the weight of the boat is supported by planing forces, rather than simple buoyancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydroplane racing</span> Sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers

Hydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes, rivers, and bays. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selwyn Edge</span> British businessman, racing driver, and cyclist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yacht tender</span> Boat used for servicing larger racing or cruising pleasure craft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmsworth Cup</span>

The Harmsworth Cup, popularly known as the Harmsworth Trophy, is a historically important British international trophy for motorboats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inboard motor</span> Marine propulsion system for boats

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Levitt</span> 20th-century British racing driver

Dorothy Elizabeth Levitt was a British racing driver and journalist. She was the first British woman racing driver, holder of the world's first water speed record, the women's world land speed record holder, and an author. She was a pioneer of female independence and female motoring and taught Queen Alexandra and the Royal Princesses how to drive. In 1905, she established the record for the longest drive achieved by a lady driver by driving a De Dion-Bouton from London to Liverpool and back over two days, receiving the soubriquets in the press of the Fastest Girl on Earth, and the Champion Lady Motorist of the World.

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<i>Blue Bird K4</i>

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References

  1. ↑ Lardy, Kate (2018). "Boat International".
  2. ↑ Annati, Massimo (2007). "When Speed Matters". Military Technology. 2007: 123–130.
  3. ↑ "Daimler AG homepage on Daimler Gedächtnis Stätte in English". Archived from the original on 2011-08-21. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
  4. ↑ ...Kiemzelle gartenhaus... Archived 2020-12-07 at the Wayback Machine media.daimler.com, accessed 17 November 2019
  5. ↑ Reuß, H.-J. Automobil und Motorschiff haben dieselben Wurzeln. In: Hansa, issue 2/2011, p. 20–21, Schiffahrts-Verlag Hansa, Hamburg 2011, ISSN   0017-7504
  6. 1 2 "Catalogue of the naval and marine engineering collection in the London Science museum". Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Archived from the original on 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  7. 1 2 "Motorboat" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-18. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  8. 1 2 3 Bernard B. Redwood. "A Short History of Motor Boating". Archived from the original on 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  9. 1 2 3 1949 Harmsworth Trophy: Detroit River, Detroit MI, July 23-August 1, 1949 Archived December 7, 2020, at the Wayback Machine www.lesliefield.com, accessed 17 November 2019
  10. ↑ "Where it all began!". Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  11. ↑ "Hydroplane History, From Rowboats to Roostertails – A Brief History of Unlimited Hydroplane Racing, [1986] by Fred Farley, APBA Unlimited Historian". Archived from the original on 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  12. ↑ "Hydroplane History – Duby Looks Back 25 Years[1987], One speed record that still stands by Larry Paladino". Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  13. ↑ "Scarf and Goggles, Dorothy Levitt – The Fastest Girl on Water. Profile of Levitt's Motor Yachting races". Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  14. ↑ The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, November 17, 1906; pg. 309; Issue 2373. The Sensational Adventures of Miss Dorothy Levitt, - Champion Lady Motorist of the World. Available at British Library, British Newspapers, Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Search for Dorothy Levitt
  15. ↑ "Autosport, The Nostalgia Forum, Historical Research, Complete transcription of The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, November 17, 1906; pg. 309; Issue 2373. The Sensational Adventures of Miss Dorothy Levitt, - Champion Lady Motorist of the World". Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  16. ↑ West, James (1975). Modern Powerboats. International Marine Publishing Company.
  17. ↑ "Motor boat - mBoat". www.mBoat.eu. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
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