The beam of a boat is a key element in providing stability which is essential when cruising on the seas. If you are facing potentially rough conditions, the size of your yacht or boat is essential. Large beam boats tend to be more stable due to the bigger surface area contact with the water.

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The beam of a boat is most commonly known as the widest point of a boat or yacht but actually means a lot more than that. It is also used in the transportation of boats, and where you should hold your sails if you are in a sailboat or yacht. Understanding the boat’s beam will promote safety and prevent confusion on the water.

In this boating guide, we will delve into what the beam of a boat is, how you can measure this and why it is essential to the functionality of the boat or yacht.

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When you are travelling in your vessel, you may encounter a narrow channel or bridge and be unsure if you will be able to fit. If you find yourself in this position, you can refer to your beam dimensions as this will show if you can fit through. Because the beam is the widest measurement of the boat, you can be assured that you won’t damage your boat if this is lower than the width or height of the channel or bridge.

Knowing the components of a boat, particularly the beam, is crucial for navigating, functionality, and in emergency situations. By using the tips mentioned above, you can easily measure the beam of a boat, apply this to your specific needs and avoid any confusion.

Fresnel lenses may be fixed, showing a steady light all around the horizon, or revolving, producing a flash. The number of flashes per minute is determined by the number of flash panels and the speed at which the lens revolves. A unique flash pattern for each light is produced by varying the amount of light and dark periods. For example, a light can send out a flash regularly every five seconds. Alternatively, it might have a ten second period of darkness and a three second period of brightness, or any number of other combinations. The individual flashing pattern of each light is called its characteristic. Mariners consult a light list or a maritime chart that told what light flashes that particular characteristic, and what color the light is. This allowed them to determine their position at sea in relation to the land.

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If you are looking to buy a new boat or are interested in the sailing components, here are 3 key takeaways to consider regarding the beam of a boat:

Nearly all lighthouses in National Park units originally had a Fresnel lens, though many of them have been removed and/or replaced with more modern lighting mechanisms. However, the lenses’ beauty and their pivotal place in lighthouse history has ensured their preservation in many instances. Some are in museums associated with the historic lighthouse itself; others are in museums away from the lighthouse. And of course, there are many, many more Fresnel lenses in American lighthouses that are not part of National Parks. The United States Lighthouse Society maintains a large amount of information about Fresnel lens history and technology, as well as lists of current and operational Fresnel lenses in the United States.

Having a boat with a narrower beam will lead to sharper turns and response times, meaning they are more manoeuvrable or if you become in a position where an emergency turn is required, this will be easier to do. Whilst large beam boats may have a larger turning circle, they have wider lateral stability and turning will be a lot smoother throughout.

Depending on the size of your boat, there will be a different length-to-beam ratio. A large yacht may include a 9 to 1 ratio, whereas a smaller power boat may only have a 2 to 1 ratio. Having a narrow or wide beam boat doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform better, it just means that it is more suited to the functionality. If you are looking for a speed boat, we would recommend investing in a narrow-beam boat. However, if you are looking to buy a cruiser or larger boat, then a wide beam is the option for you.

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Most Fresnel lenses look like a beehive or barrel; most contain from two to twenty-four different panels. A clock type mechanism, which had to be wound by hand every few hours before automation, was used to make the revolving lenses rotate around the lamp itself to produce the flash. The movement of the lens is timed precisely so the panel will pass by when a flash is due.

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When considering the parts of a boat, the beam refers to the entire breadth / widest point of a boat or yacht starting on the port side and ending on the starboard side when standing at the back of the boat looking forward. It first originated when boats were being constructed of wood, and the overall size was calculated using the length along the beam along with the centreline dimensions. You may hear some sailors refer to the beam as the ‘BOA’ which means the beam overall. As well as the width beam, there is also a centreline beam but is only applicable for vessels that have two or three hulls such as a catamaran or a trimaran.

As mentioned previously, the size of your beam will impact the overall speed of your boat. Because a narrow beam boat requires less drag, this makes it easier to move through the water with less power. Wide beam boats are still able to move at high speeds but it just means it will require more power.

The waterline beam is still the widest part of the boat measuring from the port side to the starboard side, but it is measured from the waterline where the boat sits when floating. The two measurements you will receive when calculating the beam will be different because of the points where you are calculating it, but both are still essential in the boating world.

To measure the beam of a boat, first start on the furthest side of the hull on the port side and run a tape measure parallel across to the furthest starboard side, ensuring it is straight and in place for an accurate reading. You can follow the same method to calculate the waterline beam but we would recommend taking multiple measurements and taking an average of them all.

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Fresnel lenses came in several sizes, or orders, from the largest, the Hyper-Radial, to the smallest, the eighth order. Not all orders were used in the United States. Large first order lenses, such as those still in place at the Fowey Rocks lighthouse in Biscayne National Park or the Bodie Island lighthouse in Cape Hatteras National Seashore, were usually used on major seacoasts, with a more powerful beam that shines up to twenty-one miles out to sea. Fifth or sixth order lights, the smallest used in the United States, were used in smaller bodies of water, such as bays or rivers. The Jones Point lighthouse on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia, used a fifth order lens for the comparatively smaller distances it had to cover, but it was nonetheless essential to the hundreds of merchant, passenger, fishing, and naval vessels that traveled the waters around Washington, DC daily.

A beam and a waterline beam are two related terms, but they have different direct definitions. The main beam is the measurement at the highest point of the boat from the left side of the vessel to the right side when standing at the bow looking forward.

The use of lenses in lighthouses began in England in the 18th century, and was adopted in the United States by 1810. These early lenses were thick, excessively heavy, and of poor quality glass. Therefore, they were not very effective and prone to losing the light through the thick glass. In 1811, the French Commission on Lighthouses established a committee to investigate improvements in lighthouse illumination. Among the committee members was Augustin Fresnel, who in 1822 completed the design of his flashing lens using thin bull’s eye shaped panels, which refracted the light both horizontally and vertically, producing a much stronger beam of light.

If you have recently taken an interest in boating or are a helmsman looking to buy your first vessel, navigating the different boat points can be confusing. One of the most important factors to consider is the beam, as this plays an essential part in the stability and manoeuvring of a boat.

The Fresnel lens (pronounced "Frey Nel"), as it came to be known, represented a monumental step forward in lighthouse lighting technology, and therefore also in maritime safety. In a Fresnel lens, hundreds of pieces of specially cut glass surround a lamp bulb. This design intensifies the glow from the light, focusing rays of light that would normally scatter into a single, intense beam of light, which shines out in a specific direction. The lens could produce an unlimited number of flashing combinations and intensified the light so it could be seen at greater distances, allowing mariners a greater deal of safety in their navigations near shore.

The beam is an essential feature on a boat and affects the boat’s performance in many ways including the clearing calculation, speed, handling and stability.

Purchasing a narrow-beam boat means that it will travel faster and have a higher secondary stability meaning if your boat tips, you have a higher chance of it recovering and not capsizing. However, this means that the speed of your yacht or boat will be higher.

Having a wide beam boat means that your overall stability will increase because it will prevent the centre of gravity from shifting towards the left or the right which reduces the chance of capsizing. However, this will make the secondary stability lower and reduce the overall speed of the yacht or boat. The wider your beam is, the further your storage is able to move from the centreline due to having more stability all around the vessel.