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Old 10-06-2017, 08:21 AM   #1
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Slight List to Starboard

I have a 1981 34-foot Marine Trader double cabin. The house bank is six golf cart batteries and is located under the salon bench on the starboard side. It causes the boat to list about two inches to starboard. The batteries weigh about 60 pounds each so it’s about 360 total pounds. Should I offset this by placing a counterbalance weigh on the port side to even out the boat, or just leave it be? If counterbalancing what should I use. I can’t move half the batteries to the port side.
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Old 10-06-2017, 08:26 AM   #2
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I would simply re-plan my storage as a starter. For example can you locate your tool box/bag, hardware supply, or canned goods, etc to offset the list?
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Old 10-06-2017, 08:29 AM   #3
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I had the same issue caused by the tender motor and the batteries placed in the wrong place by the PO.

I moved the batteries and then placed my dive tanks and weights on the opposite side to compensate. Between the two I was able to level things out.

I have known people to put bags of lead shot on one side to balance things.
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Old 10-06-2017, 08:36 AM   #4
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I had a boat that naturally listed like yours and I had no equipment or other stuff that I could relocate for balance so I used a storage compartment and put a water bladder in it and filled it with water. Did a great job of levelling. Experiment but don't leave it, it is likely annoying to you or you wouldn't have raised the issue.
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Old 10-06-2017, 08:44 AM   #5
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My boat lists to stbd about an inch. Fortunately I have two fuel tanks, one on each side under the cockpit. If I keep about 2-4" more fuel in port tank (20-40gal), it trims out level. So I try to manage my tank burn to keep it that way.
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Old 10-06-2017, 09:10 AM   #6
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Look around the boat for things you can move or store on the high side. I moved the spare CQR and rode on the sailboat and it was enough. I've moved the spare anchors and rodes on the trawler from lazarette to bow to begin to compensate for hanging a dinghy on the transom; the shape of the waterline makes the effect stronger than you might imagine.

As others have said, tank management is effective and easy. I've got two hundred gallons of potable water in port and starboard tanks that I really don't need while the boat is doing day trips and living in a slip.

Don't add weight; you'll simply be paying to move it.
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Old 10-06-2017, 01:40 PM   #7
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I keep a small plastic level near my helm and when I find a list I transfer fuel from one lateral tank to the other until level.
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Old 10-06-2017, 02:37 PM   #8
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Assuming full fuel and water tanks (unless they are centered), move spare anchors and rode, spare parts, tools, etc. to balance the boat.
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Old 10-06-2017, 07:47 PM   #9
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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
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Old 10-06-2017, 08:22 PM   #10
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There is a long thread on this from earlier this year.

Many (if not boats) have a list.

When my fuel tanks are equal my list is about four inches and very noticeable. In fact one stern exhaust in nearly under water the other above water! To the extent my neighbor two doors down once came over to the front door and told me he thought my boat was sinking!

So I now keep ~ 150 gallons more fuel in the starboard tank and it is even.

The cause - 12 house batteries on the port side.
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Old 10-06-2017, 11:18 PM   #11
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A list you say.
Some new boats, right from the manufacture, come with movable weights positioned for proper trim. Once the owner loads the boat, you are supposed to shift the ballast weights to gain neutral trim again.
I know of one popular 42 foot trawler that comes new with 600 pounds to be repositioned. Lead if I recall correctly. Another 46 foot I know had an extra water storage tank installed in the lazarette on the port side with instructions to use it last.
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Old 10-07-2017, 08:46 AM   #12
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I was working on a boat and on the port side outboard of the engine there was several hundred pounds of lead ingot. A day later I was working on the stbd side. There was a few hundred pounds of ingot there too!! Different style ingots, so likely added at a different time. And this was a planing hull.

I advised the owner he could probably take it all out.
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Old 10-07-2017, 09:22 AM   #13
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Don't need to move the batts. Just need to move something. Pick something easy to move and make sure it's secure.
You could use concrete blocks or similar weights even friends on the high side of the boat to quickly and easily determine how much weight needs to be moved.
Don't add weight.
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Old 10-07-2017, 10:34 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou_tribal View Post
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 port tank goes empty, the engine will draw and and stop. You will need to prime the whole fuel system to get it to start again. Best to not let that happen. If you can valve it off, do that before it goes empty.

Assuming you have a diesel engine, it should draw equally from both tanks. If it does not, you can partially close the feed valve from the tank that more fuel is being drawn from or partially close the return valve so more fuel is returned to the other tank. My choice would be the feed valve so there's no chance of overfilling the other tank.
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Old 10-07-2017, 10:48 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by WesK View Post
If your port tank goes empty, the engine will draw and and stop. You will need to prime the whole fuel system to get it to start again. Best to not let that happen. If you can valve it off, do that before it goes empty.



Assuming you have a diesel engine, it should draw equally from both tanks. If it does not, you can partially close the feed valve from the tank that more fuel is being drawn from or partially close the return valve so more fuel is returned to the other tank. My choice would be the feed valve so there's no chance of overfilling the other tank.


This was exactly my fear
I have no return valve so I will always check that I have enough fuel in both tank and play with the feed valve.

L
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Old 10-07-2017, 10:49 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WesK View Post
If your port tank goes empty, the engine will draw and and stop. You will need to prime the whole fuel system to get it to start again. Best to not let that happen. If you can valve it off, do that before it goes empty.

Assuming you have a diesel engine, it should draw equally from both tanks. If it does not, you can partially close the feed valve from the tank that more fuel is being drawn from or partially close the return valve so more fuel is returned to the other tank. My choice would be the feed valve so there's no chance of overfilling the other tank.
That all really depends on how the valves are set up.

As you can see from this set up, the tubes in the middle of the fuel supply and in the middle of the fuel return systems will handle a tank emptying, ensuring there is always fuel available to the engines so long as any one of the tanks has fuel.
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Old 10-07-2017, 10:55 AM   #17
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That all really depends on how the valves are set up.



As you can see from this set up, the tubes in the middle of the fuel supply and in the middle of the fuel return systems will handle a tank emptying, ensuring there is always fuel available to the engines so long as any one of the tanks has fuel.


Jeez how many valves do you have!!!
I have only one with 4 directions, port, starboard, both and closed, simple enough

L
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Old 10-07-2017, 07:48 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wwestman View Post
I had the same issue caused by the tender motor and the batteries placed in the wrong place by the PO.

I moved the batteries and then placed my dive tanks and weights on the opposite side to compensate. Between the two I was able to level things out.

I have known people to put bags of lead shot on one side to balance things.
I use lead shot in 25# bags. Quite easy ti shift from side to side when necessary.
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Old 10-07-2017, 07:50 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by DHeckrotte View Post
Look around the boat for things you can move or store on the high side. I moved the spare CQR and rode on the sailboat and it was enough. I've moved the spare anchors and rodes on the trawler from lazarette to bow to begin to compensate for hanging a dinghy on the transom; the shape of the waterline makes the effect stronger than you might imagine.

As others have said, tank management is effective and easy. I've got two hundred gallons of potable water in port and starboard tanks that I really don't need while the boat is doing day trips and living in a slip.

Don't add weight; you'll simply be paying to move it.
Don't add weight? Perhaps. My boat was bow heavy. I needed weight in the stern as I had removed the aft fuel tank that resided under the bed in the aft cabin. Every boat differs. There are no absolutes.
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Old 10-07-2017, 10:18 PM   #20
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CatJack,
Perhaps you could reduce weight fwd.
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