Inspecting Boats for Sale: Know the Deadrise for the Boat you Need
People who are considering looking up various boats for sale in Kansas at their local dealerships will almost certainly come across one term being raised over and over again: deadrise—merely a technical term used to describe boat hulls.
Deadrise describes the angle formed between the surface and the boat’s hull at any given point; it is the rise of the boat’s bottom measured from the keel. A typical boat has deadrise along its entire length, which heavily affects how the boat handles while cruising on water. Deadrise angles are commonly used to measure how soft the boat rides, or how fast the boat cruises as the pounding force hits the hull.
Simply, the sharper the angle of the V in a V-bottomed boat, the greater her deadrise. A boat with a high deadrise has a more pronounced V shape on its hull, and a flat-bottomed boat would have zero deadrise.
A boat’s deadrise will determine how easily it will “slice” through the water—the “shallower” the V shape, the more the boat pushes over the waves. There is a rule of thumb governing this, which states that the greater deadrise proves better for rough water, while smaller deadrise is rides best along calmer waters.
Take note also that while a bigger deadrise does allow a boat to handle better in rough water, it also means that the boat is less stable and requires a lot more speed and power (which, in turn, equates to greater fuel consumption) to keep it afloat and in motion. Such boats are also quite unstable when anchored, and the pronounced V shape enables waves to rock the boat easier. On the other hand, flatter bottoms may mean better fuel consumption and stability, but the ride can be a bit rougher.
Deadrise hulls don’t come in uniform types, either. Some deadrise hulls come with chines, which can decrease the hull’s overall deadrise. Chines are meant to provide a bit of flat surface area, which in turn allows more lift. Steeper deadrise hulls are typically fitted with chines for the purpose of enhancing the speed and smoothness of a ride on a V-shaped hull, while reducing some of the choppiness.
You’ll be hearing the term “deadrise” quite a lot when you visit local Kansas boat dealers such as White’s Marine Center, so learn all you can about it.
Sources:
All Aboard Boats: What’s The Deal With Deadrise? BoatingMag.com, January 6, 2010
FAQS & Advice, DiscoverBoating.com
Should I Be Concerned About The Deadrise On My Boat, And How Does It Affect A Boat’s Performance? KeyWestBoatsInc.com
Deep V, Shallow V, Or Variable Deadrise Hull Performance, TropicalBoating.com, April 20, 2010