Boat's angle

[TerryA]

Our Hardy Seawings 234 is currently ashore. The scum line shows she is noticeably down at the stern when afloat. I think this is because a previous owner replaced the previous petrol engine (probably a penta AQ151C) with a heavier diesel engine. The diesel fuel will also be heavier. It looks like some forward ballast is required. Can I just calculate the overall difference in weight, nominate a pivot point and use the old weight x distance formula to site some ballast or are there other things to consider?

 

[Montemar]

Our boat had a slight list to one side so I got my brother to stand on higher side and he balanced it. Thus, as he weighed 80Kg I could remove 40 Kg from starboard and add 40Kg to port which, fortunately, meant I could swap the calorifier tank over. It worked a treat.
I suggest you get a few members of your family and position them accordingly.

 

[Alicatt]

When I drained the 100litre water tank, which is on the port side, for the winter I got a big list to starboard as I had still almost 100litres of diseasel in the starboard tank just now I have about 100kg of bricks sitting on the port side of the cockpit to try and keep her level.
Shortly I will be taking out the gravel ballast in the bow to replace it with something a bit more dense and less likely to hold moisture in it, the gravel smells a bit, but feels dry, and the jute sacks it used to be in have rotted through

 

[PCUK]

If you are happy with the boat's stance, why not just redo the waterline rather than wasting fuel with extra weight.

 

[Daydream believer]

how does she sit when under way?

 

[PCUK]

Good point!

 

[TerryA]

Undeway she sits the same way ie stern down. She is also very sensitive to side winds so generally I have always felt there is something not quite right. Not wishing to get sidetracked into a discussion about planing, she is also reluctant to plane, at speed with tabs down, which I know to be a Hardy characteristic overcome by levelling up the attatude.
Going back to Montemars input on listing she does list slightly sometimes which is holding tank + fuel tank + batteries vs calorifier + water tank so that one resolves itself.
Alicatt raises the next problem which is what to use as ballast. Something rotproof but not bricks or concrete. I was thinking of plastic bags of sand/gravel in the forward lockers. Small tough bags easy to move for adjustment and sealed to prevent something taking root.

 

[Daydream believer]

Kiln dried block paving sand ?

 

[Montemar]

If you add more weight it gives the engine more work to do. Can you shift any weight forward?

 

[Seastoke]

Don’t use plastic bags , and shot blast is very heavy.

 

[Daydream believer]

Don’t use plastic bags ,

Sensible comment. Perhaps 5 gallon polythene plastic containers would be a better bet. they can be filled with sand & the cap screwed on to keep water out.
Alternatively, get a flexible water tank, as used for fresh water, Lay it in the void & fill with water to the required amount. It should then follow the required shape of the hull. Will take more room than sand, but easy to remove with the vessels pump, by releasing into the bilges.

 

[Alicatt]

Don't use jute sacks either...

In the bow of my boat, it is dry though and maybe 40 years old, but getting replaced this season... once I have dug it out and weighed it.

 

[Farmer Piles]

I'm with Montemar, if you can shift the weight forward it would be the best fix. My 160l water tank was right in the stern - taking up space and a lot of weight in the stern. I had Tektanks build me a new one that fits under the central berth just forward of midships and it's a huge improvement.
It would be a shame to add more weight unless you have to.

 

[BruceK]

Wakeboarding boats use SUMO sack ballast bags filled with water. Why water? Its neutral ballast. i.e. wont make you sink faster if you should ever have the misfortune of flooding.

And they are as tough as hell

 

[TerryA]

Unfortunately its only a 23ft boat. The engine compartment is shared with the calorifier and water tank, forward of that under the cockpit are the fuel tank and 2 berths. Then comes the heads opposite the galley. Then there are two matching under bench/berth lockers where I would put the extra weight and then the bow thruster installation. Not a lot of wiggle room.

 

[PCUK]

Is there room for a custom shaped water tank under the forward berths, this would make a big difference.

 

[Farmer Piles]

Is there room for a custom shaped water tank under the forward berths, this would make a big difference.

Quite, it's what I did and well worth the cost and effort.

 

[TerryA]

Unfortunately custom shaped tanks are out of my price range at the mement although water sounds a good idea. Perhaps I could use empty wine bottles.

 

[PCUK]

Use full wine bottles and your fore-cabin will be full of friends which will solve the problem!

 

[PCUK]

. . . on a more serious note you could build a ply tank and paint it internally with suitable resins, can't remember which at the moment, but that would be a low cost possibility.