The purpose of the Dole Fin was to assist a power boat to plane. I would be useless on a displacement craft's outboard. Capt. David Hoyt In a message dated 2/6/2008 3:04:40 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
YES!!! The Dol-Fin...I remember the teeny ads in the back of mags like Small Boat Journal!!! I can still see little half-tones of the beasts in my mind, burned into my brain like neurological fossils from some graceful, simpler time of Phil Bolger designs and Edey & Duff gunkholers. Wait...did I just use the word "graceful" in the same sentence with "Phil Bolger?" tf no fatty knees David Shugarts wrote: > > There is a certain unavoidable dichotomy about this. I cannot see how a > racing sailor would want it, but a cruising sailor would probably really > like it (depending on his waters). We grow a lot of marine flora and fauna > here in Connecticut, and I wouldn't want it, whether racing or cruising. But > wherever it could be kept clean, it would make a serious difference in > thrust, at a cost in drag (especially under sail). > > Similarly, there is an even simpler device said to give certain beneficial > effects to an outboard. Back around 1987, I was editor of Powerboat Reports > and we decided to test a device called the Dol-fin. I don't know whether it > is still available. Essentially, it is like adding stylish wingtips to your > anti-cavitation plate. There were various claims of fuel efficiency, speed > and control, I believe. As I recall (20 years ago now) there was no > appreciable difference in any parameter when we tested it in real-life > conditions. You were trading off some well-understood aerodynamic (er, > hydrodynamic) benefits versus wetted surface (wetted surface always means > drag). > > --Dave S. > **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025 48)
