How Flopper Stoppers Increase Comfort Onboard
When it comes to enjoying time on an explorer vessel, comfort goes beyond just having a luxurious interior. A key factor that makes your experience more enjoyable, is the boat’s ability to reduce motions.
Take the Arksen 85, for example—a high-tech vessel built to handle tough conditions. It stands out with its advanced hull design and smart stabilisation systems.
These features work together to keep the boat steady, reducing motion and making your ride smoother, no matter the sea conditions. With its ability to dampen pitch and roll, with interceptors and various roll-stabilisation systems, the Arksen 85 gives you the freedom to focus solely on enjoying the vessel, planning your next adventure, and savouring every moment without ever giving comfort a second thought.
What Are Flopper Stoppers?
The Arksen 85 comes with several ways to keep the boat steady. Two of these options, the Gyro and stabiliser Fins, use electric power, which is provided by a combination of generators, batteries and solar power, so in some scenarios, an Owner may wish to maintain comfort, whilst reducing noise and conserving power. That’s where the third option, called “Flopper Stoppers,” comes in handy. These are simpler devices that don’t use power and are perfect for conserving energy.
How Do Flopper Stoppers Work?
Flopper Stoppers are hinged plates that hang from booms, deployed from each side of the boat when it’s anchored. As the boat rolls to port, the starboard flopper stopper is dragged upwards through the water (and vice-versa), creating a resistance that reduces the boat's rolling motion, increasing comfort onboard, all without consuming any power.
Measuring Effectiveness
A key part of sea trials, for Arksen vessels, is to measure the actual performance against the designed performance. This includes the performance of the flopper stoppers. To understand how effective they are we need to measure how much they reduce the boat's roll. During sea trials, we used a special device from Tarka Systems in the Netherlands called the Multi Operations Survey System (MOSS). This device records the boat's movements with high accuracy, capturing data up to 10 times per second and recording it against time and GPS position.
Analysing the Data
We processed the data from the MOSS using a custom Python program designed and built in house. This program helps turn complex data into easy-to-read graphs and charts. It can handle various data types and automatically adjusts for any errors, making it easier to see how effective the Flopper Stoppers are.
What Did We Find?
Our analysis shows that the Flopper Stoppers can reduce the boat's roll by up to 60% when anchored. This means a much smoother and more comfortable experience on board, without using any power or making noise. This significant reduction in roll not only enhances comfort but also increases safety for everyone on the boat.
Technical Data
Device Used:
Tarka Systems MOSS: Multi Operations Survey System, equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Records movements, velocities, and accelerations in 6 degrees of freedom at up to 10Hz.
Data Processing:
Python Script: Developed in-house by Arksen, to handle CSV data files. The script plots various data types, performs automatic self-calibration, and includes Root Mean Squared (RMS) trend lines.
Findings:
Reduction in Roll: Results indicate a reduction in roll angle by up to 60% with the use of Flopper Stoppers at anchor without consuming power.
