Injury Risk Reduction for Fast Military Craft

The effect of slamming impacts on humans is the main limiting factor in the performance of high-speed craft operating in rough seas. Although firm numbers are missing, it appears that the majority of power boat operators are all too familiar with fast boat related injuries. This issue has been tackled in several collaborative projects by MARIN, TNO, and COMMIT, from three different perspectives: the hydrodynamic and boat equipment design, crew training, and operational guidance of fast boats. This paper presents an overview and future applications of the state-of-the-art methodologies in dealing with the design and the operability of fast boats, including novel first steps in the quantification of the crew injury risk due to slamming.