Full scale seakeeping trials are rare, especially planing hull and are in
general focused in studying bottom pressures, accelerations and vibrations. In this
paper, a comprehensive description of the experimental setup and analysis of full
scale seakeeping trials propulsion data of a 65 ft planing pleasure yacht is presented.
Torque and rpm have been measured on both propeller shafts during seakeeping
trials in mild sea conditions, along with hull motions and accelerations.
Correlations between hull motions and propulsion data are discussed, both in the
time and frequency domain. Further tests on a shaft sample have been carried out in
order to validate its mechanical properties and hence quantitative results regarding
shaft torque. The main novelty of the present work lays in a detailed analysis of the
propulsion system response of a planing pleasure yacht in mild weather conditions.
