Two vessels are abreast of each other and passing port to port in a confined waterway. What should you expect as your bow approaches the screws of the other vessel?
• Hydrodynamic interaction between two ships in close proximity • Effect of propeller race (screw wash) on a nearby bow • How forces change in a confined waterway compared to open water
• Picture a top-down view of both vessels side by side: what does the water flow from the other vessel’s screws do to the water around your bow as you come abeam and then move forward? • Think about "bow cushion" and "stern suction" effects: when your bow reaches the region of the other vessel’s stern and propellers, which of those two is dominant? • Ask yourself: in close-quarters, are vessels more often sucked together or pushed apart when the screws and sterns are near each other?
• Verify how propeller race moves water (direction of flow) and what that does to a nearby hull section (push vs. suction). • Consider that in confined waters, interaction effects are stronger: would that amplify an attractive force or a repulsive force between the hulls? • Make sure you are thinking about the moment when your bow is near the other vessel’s stern/screws, not when the bows are opposite each other.
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