Leveling a 36 DC

[James Grant]

Top of the morning:

So we've moved aboard for the summer to work on our 1982 DC and she's coming along nicely. Plan is to take off next year from Big Island Ontario near Belleville and do the loop over the following few years.

I have a question regarding leveling the boat, ours sits nose heavy guessing about 5-7 deg. I have been told that these boats are known for this. I know of at least one other boat that has the same issue and was rectified with adding a few pails of steel washers in the stern compartment.

The other issue would be that I am going to hold a 310 Zodiac and 9.9 on the swim platform so the delema becomes the old chicken and egg thing, do I try and level the boat first and then add the tender or should I add the tender and then final adjust. The davit system needs to have the measurement for the bracket to attach the tender to the swim platform and I'm not sure how much of an issue a couple inches would be.

So there it is - anyone got any suggestions would love to hear them - what was used to level - anyone else experiencing this problem ?

Thanks a ton - happy cruising

Grant

[Panhdjoe]

Hi, I have been told that if the fuel and water tanks are full that helps this situation. Are your fuel and water tanks full? Just curious... joe

[DougSea]

I'm also thinking that I'd want to trim her when she's set up in "normal" mode, whatever that may be for you. So, will you usually have the tender in the davits? As Joe notes, what will be your normal fuel and water load? For me, in our 35, I try and keep the fuel and water below 1/2 most of the time based on our normal usage.

And a final though; since you're "looping" you may want to consider what else you'll be bringing along, and where you plan on stowing it.

Let us know how you work it out!

[jleonard]

My boat is trim fore and aft when the dink is on the davits and the water tanks are full
After that it all goes to heck in a handbasket. We often move some things around to get the port and starboard trim. Like Dougsea says it all depends on what we have aboard.

[rebuckley]

Hi - we had been told the same thing when we originally purchased the boat. We filled the tanks to get our "normal float" then added some "pig iron" - or some other smelting material. It was heavy and cheap. I have 4 or 5 blocks in the rear lazarette, they are low enough and wide enough that they do not move in any conditions and will not adversely effect the steerage.

[meridian]

Since the water tanks are as far aft as possible and weigh about 1,600 lbs full it will be difficult to keep the boat in trim. We just started the loop and that's the least of our concerns.

[James Grant]

Hi there - the water does help and the tanks are full - I have been told that I could use about 1500 lbs and that seems excessive - I will put the tender on and then level her as it would be the normal condition of the boat. Just have to put the tender on before bed time lol

Meridian - where are you on the loop? Just curious

Thansk eveyone for answering

[cct]

Bow Heavy Albin.jpg

I've been contemplating this problem as well and at least for me, I believe it's more than when to hang the dinghy. I have a shore water line so I tried to keep the water tanks empty all summer (saves winterizing them). Well, one look at the picture shows what happened. So I filled both tanks and expected the stern to squat right down - but it didn't. In fact, it took several hours before she finally sat level with the new water weight gain. So at this point, I believe I have water trapped in the keel. It's been noted in previous discussions about this problem and I think its logical why it took awhile for my stern to squat down. That water was resting towards the bow and once I applied stern weight, it took it awhile to find a path to find it's new CG. I'm going to drill out the skeg after haul out and look for the flood.

[James Grant]

Thanks Karma - thats very interesting about the water in the keel - your boat sits the same as ours - I got ahold of the local scrap metal dealer and they have some lead from a keel - given that the water is 1600lbs full and only brings the stern down marginally I'm thinking I'll start with about 1000 lbs and go from there.
I went through the dingy template yesterday and they want the rise from the water level to the top of the platform so leveling the boat first would be the route to go.

[psneeld]

Bow Heavy Albin.jpg

I've been contemplating this problem as well and at least for me, I believe it's more than when to hang the dinghy. I have a shore water line so I tried to keep the water tanks empty all summer (saves winterizing them). Well, one look at the picture shows what happened. So I filled both tanks and expected the stern to squat right down - but it didn't. In fact, it took several hours before she finally sat level with the new water weight gain. So at this point, I believe I have water trapped in the keel. It's been noted in previous discussions about this problem and I think its logical why it took awhile for my stern to squat down. That water was resting towards the bow and once I applied stern weight, it took it awhile to find a path to find it's new CG. I'm going to drill out the skeg after haul out and look for the flood.

My keel is just a big box inside...if I have water in mine (as in after an attempted repair)...it would just slosh back and forth with no resistance...I know for sure on mine, as I ground out a bad spot on the keel amidships that wound up being 2 feet long and up to 3 inches wide in the widest spot.

These boats have little flotation near the bow due to the hull shape...I would concentrate getting weight out of the bow more so than trying to just add it to the stern...as we have seen a lot of weight aft, unless on the swim platform, seems to do little.

[jleonard]

I was told that these kels are filled with cement. Mine is. It also HAD water in it. I found that the leak was where they screwed the bilge pump to the bilge. Those holes are repaired and all the water has finally drained out (after 5 years) via a drain hole I drilled and tapped and plug for the summer.

[psneeld]

I was told that these kels are filled with cement. Mine is. It also HAD water in it. I found that the leak was where they screwed the bilge pump to the bilge. Those holes are repaired and all the water has finally drained out (after 5 years) via a drain hole I drilled and tapped and plug for the summer.

Thought of filling mine with something..but for now...hollow as a cave. I think mine is filling with leaks from the stern tube...but can't verify other than others have thought the same.

Not sure when I'll get around to messing with it all again...and then not sure what direction I'll head....might be afraid of concrete or something heavy as if it wrecks my trim...would be a mother to get out.

[bccanucker]

Us as well with the forward tilt and ours came with a whack of lead bars in the aft cabin both behind the water tanks under the bed (we have the queen island) and undernethe the port and starboard cabinetry.
The second and third pictures at
http://www.blueheron-albin.blogspot.ca/
show the boat during our taking delivery trip.
We solved a bit of the look by angling up the water line paint from about the start of the V birth room to the bow.
We never seem to notice the tilt when running.
We also have the side to side tilt and usually run with the starboard fuel and water tanks shut off

[Captn_Dwt]

Hello!
We just finished 10 weeks cruising. Here's my thoughts:
1) A generator mounted before the engine is my first thought for the boat leaning forward. I believe that the boat was designed and balanced without that weight. As noted above, the hull design does not provide extra floatation forward.
2) I keep my water tanks and fuel tanks as full as possible. It matters lots, and boat looks almost trim when they are full.
3) As I loaded the gear for this long trip, I put anything heavy as far back as possible. 5 Gal. pails of engine oil went under the aft birth, as did anything else I could (The warm beer!). I kept the v-birth area as light as possible (it was the "panty" for supplies, but only for small quantities. All "back stock" was stored aft.)
4) I installed a sailboat heal gauge in the main cabin. As I loaded the boat, I balanced port / stbd.
5) There's good storage underneath the drawers that are mounted at floor level; both in the aft cabin and the saloon.
6) I used milk crates to contain heavy items, and secured them on either side of the main engine. They are reasonable to haul up if work needs be done, but if not, all that weight is as low as possible.
Hope this helps. In all, it worked very well and I'll re-load exactly this way next year.

[bccanucker]

Ours used to have the genset but previous owners took it out.
Still tilts without it(:-)