Seakeeping response of a Surface Effect Ship in near-shore transforming seas

Scale model tests are conducted of a Surface Effect Ship in a near-shore developing sea. A beach is built and installed in a wave tank, and a wavemaker is built and installed in the same wave tank. This arrangement is used to simulate developing sea conditions and a 1:30 scale model SES is used for a series of experiments. Pitch and heave measurements are used to investigate the seakeaping response of the vessel in developing seas. The air-cushion pressure and the vessel speed are varied, and the seakeeping results are compared as functions of these two parameters. The experiment results show a distinct correlation between the air-cushion pressure and the response amplitude of both pitch and heave. The results of these experiments are compared against results of a computer model of a Surface Effect Ship (SES).