What makes my boat list?

[rburlington]

As you can see below, my boat is listing to the starboard.  What causes this?  I thought perhaps the old wet transom was the reason.  But I have changed it and it is dry and the material I used does not absorb water.  The bilge is dry and there is no evidence of water anywhere at all.  I also removed the old station seating which was something like a center console only mounted way off center to the starboard.  Yet it still lists.

On the other hand, I do have a 2 battery system and one of the batteries is a group 31 marine, very heavy.  Both are mounted together just about at the starboard beam.  There is also an old fridge (not working) on that side of the boat and no water in the 5 gallon sink tank on the port.  

Any ideas?

Here is the pic of the boat listing in the slip.


Thanks for ideas and suggestions.
RGB

[scott_gunn]

That's a significant list.  I doubt batteries would do that.  One way to find out is disconnect the battery and move place it on the other side just to see what happens.

Maybe the starboard stringer is waterlogged?

[rburlington]

Scott,
Let's say that the problem is a waterlogged stringer.  Can it be dried out, or does the deck need to come off and the stringers be accessed and re-cored?
RGB

[JimCt]

Batteries, the old fridge and the water tank are probably 75% of the list; possibly all of it.  These hulls are fairly tender for the first few degrees of list.

[Miguel]

Dump the fridge..........

[rburlington]

Thanks to Scott, Miguel, and JimCT:

After reading responses this morning I decided to first get rid of the fridge and second disconnect and remove the batteries from the boat (which account for about 90 lbs or more).  If she still lists I will have to look into the stringer possibility.

It looks to me like the stringers pass right under the fuel tank basin (is that what you call the liner the tank is in?).  If so, I guess I could remove the tank and that basin and then drill some exploratory holes.  If it is wet, I would try open the stringer at the top from that access and dig out all the foam possible.  Not sure yet what I would replace it with, but I will hope this does not become necessary.  Still, its an old boat and Scott's remark might be right on.

Meanwhile, hope to address all the problems of this hull from the rub rail up.

Will post results of the lightening process after next week when I have a chance to get back to the boat and meanwhile pray that Miguel and JimCT are right; no offense Scott!

[JimCt]

Odd if only one stringer is soaked.

[rburlington]

Yes, one wet stringer would be odd.  

I noted what I thought was a gas stain under the overflow which happens to be on that side of the boat.  A friend said he thought it was a patch (but if so, a very very smooth one).  It is well above the water line.  Maybe a hole was gashed in the side?

Looking in the bilge in all places possible to do so, one would not think water had ever been in there; just the usual collection of odd junk one might expect after 26 years.  

I am very familiar with the bottom of the boat having spent plenty of time on my back sanding it before bottom painting.  If there was any place water was getting in from there you could not prove it by me.  There were also no signs of soft spots or blisters at any point either; although there were the expected scratches and one long scratch that got through the gel coat  for a distance of 24" up near the bow.

RGB

[JimCt]

If the boat's dry, weight distribution of objects on the boat has to be the culprit.

Did the boat have the list before you rebuilt the transom?

[rburlington]

Yup, had the list before the transom replacement.  I thought that it was due to the fact that the transom was wetter on that side b/c a previous owner had drilled for a kicker motor and then did not seal the holes.

There was a very slight seep (and I mean just past damp) from the stringer on that side, but the foam from 1/4" up was dry.  I guessed this was due to a pit of water getting to the stringer from the transom.  But as noted, the bilge has always been dusty-dry.

As you can imagine, I hope that weight distribution proves to be the problem.  2 batteris, the helm area (which is heavy glass and 3/8" ply, the fridge and a rather large console to accomodate two drawers and the electrical console are all on that side, while nothing significant outside of the sink minus tank water and open door space answers that weight on the other side.
RGB

[JimCt]

If you sit on the port side gunnel, about amidships, with your legs dangling over the side does that correct the list?

[rburlington]

I was by myself, so I could not see.  But it seemed to me that even without putting my legs over the side, it corrected.  I only weigh about 130.

[JimCt]

I think that pretty well demonstrates the fact that we're not talking about any great amount of weight here.  Like Miguel said, toss the 'fridge and shift a few things to the port side or at least toward the centerline.

[RickK]

You must have a BUNCH of weight on that one side - on my 230 with nothing in it but me, if I (210+lbs) sit on the gunnel, she barely moves.  I added a buddy's 210+lbs to the same side and she didn't seem to move much (maybe it was leaning now but we didn't notice much lean from inside). What is the beam on your boat - 8'6"?  Should be more stable than that.
The suggestions given so far are good ones - I would at least put everything in the center and see how she sits then before I decide to deep six anything.

[scott_gunn]

My boat won't list that far unless there is some serious weight on one side (like 3 people).  But, I have less deadrise so it won't list as much.

It's possible for just one stringer to be waterlogged (especially the starboard side) if a previous owner did something stupid like drill a hole through the starboard stringer to run wires from the bilge pump through the starboard channel that holds all the wires/cables for the motor.  If it's anything like my boat, the channel is where all the water ends up, and if there is a hole in it (like there is in my boat), then guess where all the water goes?

The previous owner was thoughtful enough to pump in a wad of silicon into the hole, but I have a slight list and I think it's b/c I have just one wet stringer.