Paper 24. Stability and Control Problems Associated with Acceleration and Deceleration

This paper gives a general survey of the behaviour of surface vessels subjected to accelerations in a horizontal plane. There are two different cases which frequently occur in combination but which, for convenience, are treated separately. First, longitudinal acceleration is considered, including positive or negative acceleration in the fore and aft plane; problems of stability and manoeuvrability and means of improving directional control are discussed. Next, the manoeuvring problem associated with transverse accelerations is described, with particular emphasis on the use of auxiliary devices, such as side thrusters, and modified propulsive arrangements.

Finally, the influences of currents, winds and restricted depth on manoeuvrability are outlined.