Axe bow

The axe bow is a wave-piercing bow with a near-vertical stem, a deep forefoot carried far down, high freeboard, and almost no flare, so the profile resembles an axe blade. Developed from the Delft Enlarged Ship Concept by Delft University of Technology, MARIN, and the US Coast Guard around 2001 and commercialized by Damen as the Sea Axe, it cuts through waves rather than riding over them. The deep forefoot stays immersed, so the bow rarely emerges to slam on re-entry, which cuts vertical accelerations and pitch on fast craft such as crew boats and offshore support vessels. The penalty is added wetted length and a bow that buries in steep head seas, managed by reserve buoyancy higher up.