My system for using Springsharp

Given that Springsharp is the most accessible and useful warship general design tool that I have seen (including my own, until I improve it, except for propulsion calculations), then we need to understand how to use it to get the desired results. I start by entering my initial set of specifications and generate a report. I generally do not look at the report, initially. Instead, I look at the Performance page. That will generally either like what you have (an unlikely occurance) or complain about something, usually hull strength. There are a number of things you will need to do. First, assure yourself that you have entered all the data needed, including freeboard, rounds per gun in the main armament, armor (if there is any), and the engine parameters, including boiler and engine. If you have deficient hull strength, the two main things you will have to do are to start reducing speed and increasing displacement. I recommend doing those incrementally, and not together, until you are at least viable. Decreasing speed has the greatest effect, due to machinery weight being a big issue. I usually end up with the ship underperforming for the displacement. I usually start reducing the block coefficient slider, until I can click into the situation where the Performance page declares the design to be balanced. If the seakeeping capability is deficient, you may be forced to increase freeboard and displacement, until you can resolve the issue. You may be able to affect the issue through reducing beam, which seems counterintuitive to me. You can also play with adjusting the stability-seakeeping slider. You may possibly be able to get some benefit from this. I have had not had much luck with it.