Sara E. Thomas
Student will predict which combination of variables they feel will create the fastest boat. They will then create blue prints for their canoe, just as a designer would. When designing a boat there are three important views that a designer uses: a profile (side) view, a plan (bird’s eye) view, and a section (slice perpendicular to the profile) view. Each of these views provides important information about the structure of the boat. Students will be creating their own plans for the simple hull of a boat. While creating these plans students will learn about ratios and proportions and drawing plans to scale.
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The profile view allows the architect to look at the boat as it will float in the water. Usually a water line will be included in these drawings to signify how much of the boat will be submerged. The plan will show the layout of the boat from a bird’s eye view, similar to blue prints of a house. It will show the deck, any rooms and storage compartments. Lastly, sections show what a slice of the boat would look like. Many section plans may be made depending on the size and shape of the vessel. (Fig. 1)
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The following vocabulary will be important when drawing their plans:
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Chine - where the bottom and sides of the boat meet
Deadrise - the angle a hull bottom makes with a horizontal plane (helps cut through waves, etc.)
Freeboard - Distance from top of deck to water’s surface (varies with speed, and can also be different from the front of the boat to the back)
Keel - points along the bottom of the boat to provide stability