ABSTRACT 



Trials were conducted in May 1982 aboard the Dutch 

 oceanographic research ship Hr. Ms. TYDEMAN to compare the 

 performance of three wave buoys. These were a disposable 

 buoy designed and built by Delft University of Technology, 

 a WAVEC buoy under development by the Datawell Corporation, 

 and an ENDECO Corporation Wave-Track buoy owned by the David 

 Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center. The 

 disposable buoy provided energy spectra, while the other two 

 buoys provided energy spectra and wave directional it ies. 

 The time histories of the significant wave heights and modal 

 wave periods of the WAVEC and the Wave-Track buoys generally 

 agree throughout the experiment. The energy spectra, mean 

 wave directions, and spreading angles are also presented for 

 most of the runs measured by the WAVEC and the Wave-Track 

 buoys. The spectra of the two buoys are similar, with the 

 WAVEC buoy showing higher peaks in a majority of cases. The 

 mean directions basically compare well for wave frequencies 

 above 0.11 hertz. Wave-Track mean directions below this 

 range are often too sporadic for comparison with the WAVEC 

 directions. The spreading of the Wave-Track directional 

 energy is greater than the spreading of the WAVEC directional 

 energy. The observed wave directions agree more favorably 

 with the mean directions associated with the peak frequency 

 of the Wave-Track buoy during the first half of the experi- 

 ment and with those of the WAVEC buoy during the second half 

 of the experiment . 



ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 

 The work reported herein was sponsored by the Naval Material Command/Naval Sea 

 Systems Command Exploratory Development, Surface Wave Spectra for Ship Design 

 Program (P.E. 62T59N, SF 59-557). The work was carried out at David W. Taylor 

 Naval Ship Research and Development Center (DTNSRDC) under Work Unit Numbers 

 1500-382, 1500-383, 1500-38U, and 1500-385. 



INTRODUCTION 

 During the spring of 1982, a joint wave buoy study was conducted with partici- 

 pants from the Netherlands and the United States. The scientific party consisted 

 of members of the Delft University and the Datawell Corporation from the 

 Netherlands and DTNSRDC from the United States. Wave and wind data, along with 

 ship motions were measured on board the Dutch research ship Hr. Ms. TYDEMAN while 

 transiting the eastern North Atlantic. Wave data were measured using two direc- 

 tional sensing wave buoys, which provided directional spectra, and an acceleration 



