The Leeway of Cuban Refugee Rafts and a Commercial Fishing Vessel.
Abstract
A field test of the leeway of two search and rescue (SAR) craft was conducted during the period 25 October to 3 November 1994 by the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center. The experiment was conducted off the east coast of Florida. The SAR craft included a Cuban refugee raft with and without a sail, and a 15 meter commercial fishing vessel with a rear-reel for net fishing. This report summarizes statistical analysis of these data. A technique is introduced for incorporating the uncertainty of the measured observations of leeway from these experiments into the uncertainty of the prediction of the leeway component of a survivor craft. The Cuban refugee raft without sail had leeway speeds greater than 1.5 percent of the wind speed adjusted to 1Om height and was within 30 degrees of the downwind direction. The Cuban refugee raft with sail had leeway speeds less than 8.0 percent of 1Om wind speed, and was within 45 degrees of the downwind direction. The medium displacement fishing vessel leeway was 4.0 percent of the 1Om wind speed and was 30 + or - 15 degrees either left or right of the downwind direction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA312887
Entities
People
- Arthur A. Allen
Organizations
- United States Coast Guard Research & Development Center