Re: What is freeboard?
 

Storm, less weight can definitely make your boat sit higher in the water and give you more freeboard.

And I think that when most people are talking about "freeboard", on here or anywhere else, in most situations they are really talking about "cockpit depth".

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I think that most all around boaters... (grew up around all different kids of boats and learn their terminology on the docks) use the term freeboard correctly to describe the distance bewteen the gunwale and the waterline. I can't ever remember anyone at either of my yacht clubs using the term freeboard to describe cockpit depth.
Especially those without cockpits.
We tend to refer to "cockpit depth" as "inside gunwale height."

I think that maybe more perf boaters may use freeboard to describe cockpit depth. (As we see here on OSO.) But not more boaters in general.

("gunwale" of course is pronounced "gunnell.")

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Dunno bout that FR.
I grew up on sport fishers and considered freeboard the depth inside the boat.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Technically, the aforementioned definition of measurement from gunwale to water line is correct.
I think most of us consider freeboard to be "cockpit depth" - namely, how high the gunwale comes up to the side of your body.
The thought would mistakenly be that the floor of the cockpit is level with the water line at idle. This is not necessarily the case.



Or something like that...

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Like this one? Yes it's an Apache.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

They are almost synonymous. Not every one but as a rule of thumb, the freeboard is directly related to the cockpit depth. Ya can't have cockpit depth without freeboard.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Sucks for him! Looks calm though.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

If the majority of us {Performance boaters} think that Freeboard = Cockpit depth then The majority of us {Performance boaters} need to do some reading... :D

Start with "Chapmans"....Our "bible" :D

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Absolutely!!

But I think many refer to "Freeboard" - in laymens terms, or in practice - as how deep you sit in the boat. No, it's not the real definition, but we know what ya mean when you say it.

A much simpler definition is "if this boat makes an erratic move, either due to strange wave or driver error, how safe do I feel that I will not be ejected"? Using this definition, a higher Freeboard means your body will be thrown into the Gunwale, instead of over it - due to you own body's Center of Gravity vs. Gunwale height (if measured from cockpit depth)
Which brings up another question - is the Gunwale height measured from the cockpit floor??? I don't know, I'm asking??
Maybe we "Performance boaters" should be refering to it as "this boat has a lot of "Gunwale", instead of "Freeboard".

And, for us to have this much discussion and opinion on the matter, we must all be having a serious dose of cabin fever.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Exactly!

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Having a deep amount of Freeboard is great if you spend a lot of time in the cabin.

As for todays fastest running boat they are using less freeboard and sit down seats. Personally I feel safer sitting down in a fast boat than standing. The lower freeboard dose not mean it has a lack of performance in the rough water. The 32 Activator is a very impressive boat with very low freeboard. Tantrum and I ran 95 along side JC in 3 1/2 foot chop.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Hot Boat, I think you mean "cockpit depth"! :D I agree many of the new boats that kick azz in the rough have lower "cockpit depth" and sit down seats!

I would actually like to somehow convert my Pantera to a sit down boat!

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I've never been one to believe that incorrect usage changes a word's definition.
You can call the right side of your boat port if you want.
Doesn't change the fact that portside is the other side.

You can call your interior cabin depth "freeboard" if you choose.
Free speech and all that.

Chapman's. Page 6 in the 1972 edition.
Freeboard is the "height of a boat's topsides from the waterline to her deck."
Which is not all that helpful without the little picture they use to illustrate.

Maybe it is important to note that vertical measurements inside a vessel are referred to as "depth." Vertical measurements outside a vessel are referred to as "height."

Freeboard height is measured on the outside of a vessel.
Cockpit depth would be an inside measurement.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

when a chick puts out








she get free board :evilb: :eek: :D

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Cabin depth is referred to as "headroom."
But that's another thread. :D

Low freeboard perf boats are great until you lose horsepower for some reason and you are in a heavy following sea. No thanks.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

OK, so what is the difference in inches between low freeboard and high freeboard in an HP boat?

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Indeed. Thank you. :eureka:

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Not sure that I understand the question.
It sounds like:
What is the difference in inches between a tall man and a short man?

Or do you mean what is the difference between the highest point of freeboard and the lowest point on the same vessel?

Or do you mean what is the difference bewteen a boat considered high, and a boat considered low freeboard?

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Thats the one!!!
But specifically in HP boats.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I think that it's personal taste.
Like "what is tall?" I'm tall. (6'6")
To me... tall is really tall. Like 6'9"

To someone else... tall starts at 6'

I like a high freeboard boat because I have actually lost power in a heavy following sea and have had swells try to eat the boat. :D

I would say that Cigs tend to be higher, Apaches tend to be higher, Fountains and Formulas tend to be lower.

Still love Formulas tho... despite the lowish freeboard.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I can't wait for winter to end!

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Me too....

I can't wait to to plot a course on my maps and cast off the ropes. :D

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I'm just bringing this up, because if you're stuck out in 3-4fts, I dont think the diff between a formula and cig will make a difference.
And the boats w/ built in swim platform may make the freeboard 'seem' even lower than they are.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

The boat I mentioned earlier had one of them there swim platform thingys. :D

On that trip, which was a late afternoon trip back from Paddy McGees, there was a Sonic who was along for the ride. Everyone on that boat was dry and safe, the other boat was not. The next year the owner sold the boat and got a Sonic. :eek:

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Panther, sounds like a good decision made there.
But that may have more to do w/ hull design than freeboard.
Some boats are just wet.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

This is a really good point because an integrated swim platform could give a wave a "handle" to grab and the mechanical advantage of leverage.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

make sure you have plenty of bumpers... :drink:

Re: What is freeboard?
 

...and dock ropes. ;)

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Funny you say that, because when growing up I remember all the swim platforms were teak or aluminum and had spaces in them so the water could go thru them.
And they were not figured into the length of the boat either.
And either were pulpits. :eek:

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I just went to the cig site.
It says the freeboard for a 39TG unlimited is 41".
There aint no way the rubrail at the transom is 3.5ft above waterline. :rolleyes:

Re: What is freeboard?
 

it wouldn't be the rubrail, it would be from the water to the top of the gunwale, which is the top of the side of the boat... looking at the pic cigdaze posted on the first page, i would say that is pretty close...

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Yes. They are already tied to the stainless steel hooky thingys.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Cockpit depth and cabin head room are all proportional to the amount of freeboard.

I personally prefer to sit down in my boat and most fast boats. I converted my 28 scarab to a sit down boat and feel a much safer and same goes for my wife.

You don’t need a lot of free board to make a great rough water boat. I do agree that if you are going to run the ocean or very rough water I would prefer a boat with more freeboard especially in the event of a brake down. As for me, boating on the Hudson and Lake George I personally don’t feel the need for an extreme rough water boat like a big Cig, Apache, Sonic, Etc. They are nice but not for my needs.

I boat from point A to point B. I don’t spend much time on the boat unless I am driving it. If I had a family and spent more time tied up or anchored in a cove I would have a deferent boat, one with a deeper cockpit and more cabin head room. If that’s the case I would look for a boat with more Freeboard.

Here is a photo of my 28 scarab converted to sit down seats

Re: What is freeboard?
 

FR, I 100% agree it's incorrect. But, what I was trying to say is I'd guess that in 80% of the "freeboard" questions/comments on this board (and others)they are really talking about cockpit depth.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Hot Boat, did you do the conversion yourself? Did you have to relocate throttles, shifters, etc or modify the helm? Any before and after pics?

I would love to do this to my Pantera but everytime I get in the boat and I start looking around at all the other stuff I would need to modify to make it work and get overwhelmed.

Nice looking Scarab by the way! :D

Re: What is freeboard?
 

I just got this reply from Formula customer service...

"HI Rob,
In measuring the from the deck floor to the bottom of the windshield we come up with 32" of free board. Please let us know if this is not the measurement that you are looking for.

Regards,
Customer Support @
Formula Boats"

So you tell me that only us HP boaters think this is the use of the term??? :p

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Ya know Scott.... it might be more like 90%!! :D :D

Even the customer service dept at Formula confuses cockpit depth with freeboard height.
It does kinda seem like Perf boaters are more liberal with the meaning.

I keep reading threads about how the freeboard is directly related to the cabin height and the cockpit depth... and that is especially true with a perf boat style deep V hull... but not other kinds of vessels.

Like canoes. :D

Re: What is freeboard?
 

Look at this pic... where do you measure the freeboard, at pt 1, 2, or 3?
or is it the highest point of the hull when the boat sits in the water?

Also, see the red lines i put on the transom. I'd say the lower one is the waterline. so whats the distance between them?

Re: What is freeboard?
 

According to Chapman you can measure it at 1, 2 or 3.

Chapmans uses "topsides" rather than "gunwale"

You would get different freeboard heights at each point, just as you may get different beam widths at each point.... but they would each be correct... for that point. Your beam at midships is probably the widest?

But.... freeboard is measured with the boat in the water. It's relative to bouyancy.

Re: What is freeboard?
 

FR... don't forget Formula sells alot more than HP boats.