Rapid assessment of boat-generated waves within sheltered waterways

It is well known that waves generated by passing ships and boats can cause problems for other users of a waterway and the surrounding environment. In recent decades there has been a growing need to quantify these waves so that fair and realistic regulations can be implemented to ensure vessel operations cause minimal or negligible harm. The majority of regulatory criteria adopted both locally and internationally have relied upon the identification and quantification of just a single characteristic wave from the entire train of waves generated by a vessel, usually the highest. However, it has been shown that this is generally inadequate when considering the more complex wave patterns that are generated when craft operate in shallow water environments. This paper reports on a recent study that defined three key waves that should be quantified when assessing vessel wave wake in shallow water conditions to account for all potentially dangerous or damaging waves, particularly those of low height and high energy – a dangerous combination. Also outlined is the development of a tool that can rapidly and accurately predict the characteristics of the three key waves. This tool was developed using data acquired from a comprehensive set of model scale experiments and has been validated against measured data from independent full scale trials. The tool can be used to account for the effect that water depth, hull form and vessel speed has on the waves generated. The Wave Wake Predictor is now freely available online to assist those tasked with designing new vessels, or those who wish to identify any potentially serious wave wake issues very early in the planning and design stages of any vessel for a particular route