Boat doesn't appear level

[dave1985]

I'm looking at my 1985 36C and it seems to be nosediving while sitting in its slip. I'm in a new slip where I have a lot more visibility to see a side view of it so I'm not sure if this is a new event. I did add a windlass, 250 ft of 5/16 HT chain and a 35 pound Delta but I was getting this nosediving look before I installed it. The fuel tank under the cockpit is half full so it's down about 175 gallons. I had the boat soda blasted and new paint applied this spring. There's no water in the forward bilge and no changes other than the addition of the windlass and chain which replaced a chain rope set up. There's been no reduction in weight at the rear other than the reduced fuel.

I figured the best place to check for level would be the side window frames as they would most likely have been designed to be level when the boat was at rest. They are level. The center of the swim platform, front to back is level. The countertop in the salon is out of level slightly.

My inclination is to think the bottom paint was applied at a slighly different line after the soda blasting and it's an optical illusion. I hate to just assume that.

Any thoughts on other things to be looking at?

Thanks

 

[OBXTucker]

We have this on board and its very helpful. Leaves nothing to guess or illussion.
http://www.sailgb.com/p/silva_clinometer_131/

 

[REBrueckner]

Have two people stan d at the very stern.....see what the trim looks like...then have them go and stand at the very bow.....did it change noticeably...that should give you a rough view of weight effects...

How about your water tank...location and fill???

 

[jim rosenthal]

I think you mean she's down by her bow, not listing, am I right? I think you should be able to tell by the boot stripe in calm water at the dock; make sure all the dock lines are slack. From what you describe, it sounds like there's too much weight forward.

250 feet of chain weighs a great deal- several hundred pounds, plus a windlass and a Delta anchor. You may have had the problem before, but I suspect it's worse now...

 

[Genesis]

What Jim said.

Also note that the distance from the CG of the boat acts as a lever, so the further forward the weight is the worse the impact; in addition the bow has less hull in the water than the stern (less displacement under the load) and therefore THAT heightens the trim change too.

 

[the kuz]

I'm curious why the need for a 250 chain rode on a 36? Ours has an oversized Fortress anchor and 20 feet of 3/8 chain with 400 feet of 3/4 line. Can't see anywhere inshore that we can't anchor. That chain is so heavy and it is hard on deck paint etc. - not to mention fingers and toes.

Regards, Bob K

 

[gpellissier]

My thought would be your trim issue is mostly weight driven. Diesel weighs a little over 7 lbs per gallon, so that 175 gallons missing at the stern is over 1200 lbs, and your chain and anchor up forward are topping 300 lbs.

My little girl will react similarly when the water tank is full and the aft fuel tanks are not...not a lot, but enough to where I notice. And don't feel bad about the 250 ft of chain...I've got 300 ft of 3/8 and a 45 lb CQR.

 

[dave1985]

Thanks all for the help.

I put an inclinometer on the pulpit to get an angle in calm water. I then removed the chain and anchor. The needle didn't budge. I then put them back into place and added my 220 pound butt as far forward as I could on the pulpit. The needle on the meter still stayed just the same. It seems to me that the issue, if there is one, is not weight at the bow but lightness aft. The engines are gas but 175 gallons of gas is almost the same as diesel at about 1150 pounds. I'm running out my last tank of non ethanol gas and I've been told to run the tank down before putting ethanol in so filling up the tank to check that is temporarily off the list. My next science project, with beer as a lure, will be to entice six or eight dock mates to stand in the cockpit and see what happens. The boats running fine and there's no water in the bilge so...

Thanks again