Boat trim

[Ekutney]

I have done a search on this site but not found any information on this specific topic.  In short my boat is bow heavy, it creates a standing water situation in the cockpit at the compainionway entrance.  This happens after a heavy rain.  I have a water tank under the V berth and one on the starboard side in the salon.  I do NOT have an aft water tank but did have a 50 gal water bladder located under the aft berth.  I removed the bladder because two of the wooden blocks it was attached to had come loose and it had been on the boat for 27 years according to the PO.  When I removed it and emptied it out the sludge that came out was surprising (a pic is attached showing it out of the boat and the black mess on the ground came out of the bladder). Since this forum has been a very valuable source of information I thought I would ask the audience and see what types of response I might get.

[Noah]

Obvious thing I would do (perhaps you have already) is to conduct some trim experiments: first survey gear aboard--what is stowed where and how much; then try empty tanks, bow tank full/empty, etc.; get some jerry jugs and move them around and/or have some friends stand in various postions aboard, to see just how much weight is needed and where--to get the cockpit to drain properly. Then, you can draw up a trim/ballast plan to get there.

[Stu Jackson]

Ed, there were early reports from Mainsheet notes about the trim issue.  While I do not have definitive proof of this, it could well be why the aft tank was added and the forward tank removed.  The removal of that forward tank also provided a HUGE storage compartment.  The early (and even later) boats were also reported to have a port list, which the aft tank also tended to ameliorate.

Many of us use the aft cabin as our "garage" (do a search on that for lots of reading) and the aft end evens out over time.

We've had our boat for 18 years, and the bow just gets higher and higher.

Give it time?   

[Ken Juul]

Ed,
you are not the lone ranger.  Me too.  I'm about as a** heavy as I dare to go.  Wood grates keep the feet dry. Plenty of boat rags to dry the seats.  Great boat, but not perfect.  Learn to live with the short comings.  I always leave the boat with a smile on my face, it is just fun.

[Gary]

Hi Ed,

Here is another thought on standing water in the forward part of the cockpit. Our 1986 is at a mooring and moves around a lot with wave and wind action so the cockpit is always dry when boarding. However, when the boat is on the hard for the winter, and is level, we have standing water in the forward part of the cockpit. The only way around this is to block the boat so that it is1.5" high at the bow. When looking at the water line it is clear that the boat is slightly bow high.

So, just another thought other than tankage .... could it be that if you are at a dock the boat does not move enough to lift the forward part of the cockpit ?

Gary

[Ekutney]

Gary,

I have the water in the forward cockpit while the boat is at the slip, it collects at the companionway opening.  I have a teak grating which means I am not stepping into a puddle but would like to find a way to get rid of the standing water there.  I am at a slip that is on the Magothy River in Maryland that is not far from the Chesapeake Bay, it is NOT a protected marina.  The boat gets plenty of movement in the slip and I'm sure this helps get rid of some of the water.  I think my only solution is going to be to try and get more ballast back aft or just deal with the standing water.

Ken,

I like your advise...  I also smile a good deal these days.  This also gave me just another excuse to add rear perch seats, not only do they put ballast aft but they are an excellent vantage point to sit while out on the water or even at the dock.

[Ron Hill]

Ed : Build a platform in the aft Lazerette and install a starting battery. 
A new water blatter/tank @ 9 lbs/gallon will also get some usable weight aft.

A few thoughts

[Noah]

Eat more, too... That ALWAYS works!