Slight List to Starboard

[C lectric]

Couple years ago I added 160# of lead ingots. Batteries were the cause. I moved everything I could without tearing the boat apart. But the ingots were finally required.

I didn't want to add them but at some point I realized it was needed.
Not all boats are well balanced and some time we unbalance them , like it or not.

Fuel imbalance management can help but as seen it can be a headache. My boat, single engine with dual tanks, developed a list from tanks feeding unevenly. It took a lot of tweaks but now the fuel caused list is virtually gone. Not entirely but almost.
I have valves on each of the return lines and ever so slowly closed the one down to the tank that was NOT drawing so much. That forced more return fuel to go to the tank that was feeding most. But you will need to be able to control the return line fuel flow.

Never close the returns down completely with the idea of adjusting flow upwards or injector system damage can occur. Always adjust down from fully open return valves.

[catalinajack]

Originally Posted by Nomad Willy

CatJack,
Perhaps you could reduce weight fwd.

Nomad Willy, thanks for the suggestion. Only way is to chuck the anchor chain and go with line. Plus, the weight I added to balance the boat (600#) aft was way less than the weight of the tank and 275 gallons of fuel. I also hung a 500# dinghy on davits at the stern so the boat is approximately back to design. The lead in 25# bags gives me the ability to correct list if I need to. By the way, using lead shot in bags is way cheaper than fresh lead ingots and probably easier to handle. The other issue was, even with the dinghy, without the additional 600# the diver's plate anode lied just one inch below the surface. The boat now sits squarely on its lines.

[Donna]

This is a common problem with Marine Traders. Mine is a 1986 double cabin Sundeck. It's a combination of things. ie: Zodiac motor on starboard, both heads on starboard, etc. My solution was to put heavier items on port. I have a port to starboard full galley with massive counter space so I put my 50lb icemaker on port side, along with several gallons and cases of water in the port cabinets. ALL of my tools are n port in the engine room. Problem solved.

[Nomad Willy]

That's it Donna,
Manage the location of fairly heavy things in the boat.
Many things like holding tanks can be put just about anywhere there's space for them. Things w a fixed weight like batteries have an obvious advantage.
One of my jobs at Uniflite was to move things around in a specific boat until there was no list. Now I suppose that would be done on a computer. But a huge problem w the weight distribution issue is that larger boats are all different. Too many options like engines and number of same. But w holding tanks and generators and many other peices of equipment the weight gets distributed wherever there's room. So at times installers on the line wind up choosing where to put things and then other things need to be put somewhere else.

So the clever boat owner can continue the manufacture of their boat and move weighty things around for good balance. One chronic problem for the trawler is the bow down attitude. I suspect it's usually caused by engine location being dictated by cabin configuration. The wheelhouse frequently gets put quite far fwd and then (of course) the engine or (worse yet) engines find their way too far fwd for good balance. Boats are pointed at the fwd end and support much less weight. The result is a bow down boat that has numerous running issues. Moving weight aft is about the only thing that can be done.

[Ski in NC]

One trick the Carolina builders used was to wait until after splash day to assign permanent location for the batteries. Put in temporary batteries and temporary cables, then once trim is determined, put in battery shelf and batts to trim the boat. Spaces left open for this on both P and S sides. If batts not heavy enough for good trim, then they added more batts!!

[Hawkeye]

My list was addressed by first locating and then cleaning out a fuel vent fitting that had been stopped up by insect larva. Uneven fuel burn every time at sea.

[Panacea123]

Originally Posted by Lou_tribal

I have a similar issue, port fuel tank is always 1/4 less than starboard one. This means around 63 litres of fuel more to starboard than to port, and so a list. Never found how to solve this. I am thinking to install a fuel pump to equalize fuel level but it would be a pain. A question that I have is what would happen if my port tank goes empty, will the draw from starboard be enough? Not sure I want to test

L

If your tanks have fittings on the bottom, install a cross flow line, gravity will
take care of the rest

[Nomad Willy]

Panacea123.
Assuming he didn't have a list in the first.
The tank level will high on one side if the boat floats low on that side.
The cross tube will not fix a list.

[Panacea123]

Originally Posted by Nomad Willy

Panacea123.
Assuming he didn't have a list in the first.
The tank level will high on one side if the boat floats low on that side.
The cross tube will not fix a list.

Correct you are!
Correct list with load adjustment or ballast.
Never owned a boat that did not have ballast from the factory.
Cross tube will only mitigate fuel consumption IE: gen set or un equal fuel burn.
Thanks for the clarification.

[Airstream345]

Interesting discussion. I'm dealing with a list to port at the moment. I can see a few obvious issues: more fuel in the port tank than starboard all of the cabinetry in to port (settee, galley, head, pilothouse couch and watch birth, etc. Most of the starboard cabinetry would be in the center stateroom, stairs, etc. I also have 2 batteries on the port side under the settee.

Ordered a fuel transfer pump to better balance the fuel. Been playing with water tankage balance as well but I fear eventually I'll need to either relocate the batteries to centerline or add weight somewhere forward and starboard.

[markpierce]

Since my four fuel tanks are located on extreme port and starboard sides, I need to rotate fuel use judiciously among the tanks to keep the boat level. Otherwise, boat neighbors and marina staff will think I'm sinking. Thankfully, I've a small pump capable of transferring fuel among tanks when needed.

[Comodave]

I don’t like the idea of leaving a fuel tank partially empty to correct a list, particularly on a trawler that is a slow boat anyway so carrying a little extra weight isn’t a big deal, I want to carry the most fuel possible just in case I need it. I would recommend to fill the boat’s fuel, water and have it loaded normally and see what the trim is. If it is off, add some lead ingots to trim it properly and then you don’t have to constantly mess around trying to trim the boat. Just make sure to glass in the ingots so they can’t move in sloppy conditions.

[markpierce]

It's not worth it to me to fill the tanks to capacity after an afternoon's cruise has only consumed less than five gallons verses a maximum fuel capacity of over 300 gallons.

[Puffin_NT32]

List can be fairly common, particularly when you carry heavy battery banks, or add a generator or all-anchor chain rode. My Nordic Tug 32+ came from the factory with several 50 pound bags of crushed granite. With battery banks on starboard side, and adding 200 feet of chain to the bow, adjusting ballast bags was necessary to level the water line. Fully loaded for cruising, carrying full water and fuel tanks, I ended up raising the water line about 1 inch.