Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
There are specialized terms for just about every piece of the boat geometry. Some of the
more commonly used terms are shown in Figure 9-1. The arrow in Figure 9-1 indicates the
direction of forward travel for the boat.
Figure 9-1.
Boat geometry terminology
Here are definitions for the terms shown in Figure 9-1 and for some other commonly used
nautical terminology:
•
Beam
: The width of the boat. Also called the breadth.
•
Bow
: The front or forward part of the boat.
•
Displacement
: The weight of the water displaced by the boat. We'll discuss what “water
displacement” means in the “Buoyancy” section later in the chapter.
•
Draft
: The depth of the boat below the waterline. Also used to describe the depth of
water necessary to float a boat.
•
Hull
: The outer shell of the boat.
•
Knot
: A unit of velocity commonly used for boats. 1
knot
= 0.514
m/s
= 1.852
km/hr
.
•
Port
: The left-hand side of the boat when facing the front of the boat.
•
Starboard
: The right-hand side of the boat when facing the front of the boat.
•
Stern
: The back or aft part of the boat.
•
Transom
: The flat, vertical (or nearly vertical) aft end of the hull.
Boat Hull Types
As you learned in the last section, the hull is the outer shell of a boat. There are several general
types of hulls. A
displacement hull
is one that stays relatively low in the water when the boat is
