This book reflects the work of a great number of researchers as well as our own experience from research and teaching of hydrodynamics and ship-propeller theory over a combined span of more than 60 years. Its development began in 1983–84 during the senior author's tenure as visiting professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering, The Technical University of Denmark, by invitation from Professor Sv. Aa. Harvald. During this sabbatical year he taught a course based on his knowledge of propeller theory garnered over many years as a researcher at Davidson Laboratory and professor at Stevens Institute of Technology. Written lecture notes were required, so we were soon heavily engaged in collecting material and writing a serial story of propeller hydrodynamics with weekly publications. As that large audience consisted of relatively few masters and doctoral students but many experienced naval architects, it was necessary to show mathematical developments in greater detail and, in addition, to display correlations between theory and practical results.

Encouraged by Professor P. Terndrup Pedersen, Department of Ocean Engineering, The Technical University of Denmark, we afterwards started expanding, modifying and improving the notes into what has now become this book. In the spirit of the original lecture notes it has been written primarily for two groups of readers, viz. students of naval architecture and ship and propeller hydrodynamics, at late undergraduate and graduate levels, and practicing naval architects dealing with advanced propulsion problems. It is our goal that such readers, upon completion of the book, will be able to understand the physical problems of ship-propeller hydrodynamics, comprehend the mathematics used, read past and current literature, interpret calculation and experimental findings and correlate theory with their own practical experiences.