Surf’s Up — Catch a Bulb!

That’s our correspondent Pam hangin’ ten on Eurodam’s bulbous bow, thus fulfilling a dream she has harbored for years. For Pam, this was the apogee of her correspondenthood. She has been talking about “surfing the bulb” since way back in June, and we figured it was just so much hoo-hah, but Pam proved us wrong.

So, what does the bulbous bow do?

The bulbous bow, a standard feature of most large modern ships with displacement hulls, is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front, pointy end) below the waterline. The bulb modifies how water flows around the hull, reducing drag and increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency and stability. Ships with bulbous bows generally have 12 to 15 percent better fuel efficiency than similar vessels without them.

Bulbous bows have been most effective when used on hulls of at least 45 degrees and especially to those greater than 60 degrees. They have been used to greatest effect on large ships with long, narrow hulls such as freighters, navy vessels and various passenger ships. They are less commonly used on short, wide hulls and recreational boats designed for wide speed ranges and planing.