The Science of Smooth

Inside the Integrated Hull System and Maxum's pursuit of ultimate performance

Story by Roger Kamholz | Photo by Jim Gallop

The reason birds fly and planes fly and rocks don't and pigs don't can be summed up in one word: aerodynamics. All the conditions, from drag to lift to thrust, need to be right in order for take-off. A boat in the water is subject to similar physics, namely hydrodynamics. Like the wings of an airplane, the way a boat's hull interacts with the water can make or break its performance.

Maxum engineers take performance very seriously. So a lot of what they do is dedicated to making a hull that cuts through water, as the old saying goes, like a hot knife through butter. Their efforts over the years to create the sleekest, most technologically sophisticated hulls out there have produced what's known as Maxum's Integrated Hull System.
Designing with Unigraphics CAD software, Maxum naval architects and engineers create computer models of hulls that are as much feats of technology as they are works of art. Special programs can test the models and determine how a hull design will manipulate the water it encounters. These technologies help the designers refine the computer models for optimum ride in the real world. Life-size sculptures, or plugs, are then carved by a precision machining device that can replicate designs to within thousandths of an inch. A boat's hull mold is built to the plug's exact specifications, so that each Maxum hull remains faithful to its original design.







A. Large Reverse Lifting Strakes: channels water, lowers resistance.
B. Tapered Chine: more lift for faster planing, helps gets skiers up.
C. Extended Running Surface: improves low-speed performance.
















"We're constantly refining the processes of hull design and execution," says Richard Bryson, a longtime manufacturing expert at Maxum. "By perfecting the build, we ensure that each hull we produce is consistent with the ones that came before, both in specs and quality."

Maxum designers have incorporated several innovations into the latest fleet of Sport Boats that truly set their hulls apart. First is an extended running surface. This feature is central to Maxum Sport Boat design; the longer running surface creates more dynamic pull for watersports by enhancing performance and lift at lower speeds.

On each hull, the chine--where the hull bottom meets the hull side--has been tapered to promote lift. This in turn improves fuel economy and running attitude. The specially designed taper puts a Maxum on plane fast when towing skiers and wakeboarders.

Much of a hull's performance owes to its ability to efficiently channel water along its surface. Maxum hulls boast large reverse lifting strakes, which effectively divert water flow along the hull. The development of Maxum's strakes has led to reductions in resistance and drag, while boosting control and improving handling for the latest series of Maxum Sport Boats and Maxum's larger crafts like the Sport Cruiser series. On a 25-foot-plus cruiser, which is more likely to encounter challenging waters such as offshore conditions, quick planing and optimum control are essential.

It's common, when you peruse the showroom of your local Maxum dealer, to get caught up in the cockpits. And for good reason: That's where you're going to be spending your time on the water, and where a Maxum's stylish side really shines. The sport-inspired helms, the soft upholstery--it's all attractive, no doubt. But next time, take the opportunity to explore a Maxum's flip side--the one seldom appreciated for its stunning design. It's there that you'll find one of the most important traits that truly makes a Maxum a pleasure to experience on the water.