UNIVERSITY OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

BULBOUS BOWS

Advantages
1. An increase in speed as a result of a reduction of the bow wave system. The bulb alone
moving through the water sets up its own wave system, the volume of the bulb
determines the wave amplitude and the length of the bulb determines the wave length. If
the shape is suitably chosen this wave will tend to cancel out the normal bow wave i.e.
total wave making is reduced. Less energy is expended in wave making and the ship’s
speed is increased. The benefit is generally greater in ballast than when loaded.

2. The ship is less likely to adopt a trim by the head (or the trim by the stern is improved)
when the ship is loaded homogenously. This is because the increase of volume displaced
forward moves the LCB further forward. Any tendency for (the light ship) LCG to move
forward will be less than the effect on LCB and a better trim ensues.

3. The pitching motion is generally reduced. This is certainly true in waves which are short
or reasonable in length compared with the ships length but in very long waves the
pitching motion may be increased.

Disadvantages
1. Cost of construction is increased by:
(a) the work involved in determining the optimum design, and;
(b) the more elaborate shaping and complexity of construction.

2. Damage may result from:

(a) contact with quay or small craft etc.,
(b) a badly sited hawse pipe or the lead of the cable when heaving up the anchor.

Bulbous bows (04/04/2006) 1

Bulbous bows (04/04/2006) 2