![](https://cdn.practical-sailor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/6.-rough-cabin--170x300.jpg.optimal.jpg)
Model Cabin Trunk Tests Airflow
![](https://cdn.practical-sailor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/6.-rough-cabin--170x300.jpg.optimal.jpg)
We started testing on the boats, but quickly realized we couldn’t control the wind speed, direction, or geometry. So we built a replica plywood cabin trunk to which we could fitted hatches, cowls, dorade boxes, and low profile ventilators in a variety of locations.
We created an improvised wind tunnel by arranging a stack of five box fans 20 feet away to create a reasonably even wind field. Wind-speed readings taken with an anemometer at various points around the replica cabin confirmed that airflow patterns matched those predicted by theory. Relative pressure was judged by flow through a plain hole at these locations.