Waterline on Classic '36

[River Dawg]

We have owned a 1990 36' aft cabin for about 4 years now. Since we took ownership I have never seen the boat sit level in the water. In other words, she doesn't settle on the waterline. At the bow the water is fairly close to the painted line, but as you go aft it gets further and further away from the painted line. I think the difference at the aft end is about 8 - 10 inches. I only have about 66' of chain in the locker and filling the water and fuel tanks makes very little difference. Is there a valid reason why the boat is in this "bow down" position ? thanks for your help.....
Paul H. Southern Tide, '90 36' Classic

[jleonard]

I have a 40 and with the aft water tanks full it will sit what appears to be level.
But if they are not full I am slightly now down.
Salon floor is pretty level regardless

[varmont]

We have a 1979 36' and even with the water tanks 100% full the bow is still down at least and inch. I seem to remember somewhere this came up before and it was something that is common to most of the older boats. I know we have cement in our keel and that still is not enough.

[rebuckley]

Water Tanks 100% full bring my 36' about level on the waterline (and most drainage works at that point) - do you still have original water tanks or at least original size?

[River Dawg]

Thanks all for your replies. Reb, as far as I know the SS tanks under the bed in the aft staterm are original. I think they hold a bit more than 100 gallons each. I have heard it said that sometimes the waterline that is put on a boat during construction might have been done for a 2 engine hull, and later changed to single engine whereby lead would be added back aft to compensate for the lack of weight from the missing engine. My boat doesn't seem to have any lead anywhere, but that's just a shot in the dark. My guy who helps me with maintenance says the waterline is molded into the glass or gelcoat actually, so that makes me wonder if it is in the same place on every 36' hull ? It causes a problem when rain, etc. is supposed to drain to the aft end and doesn't.

[rebuckley]

River - I think your assumption is correct, my boat is a single engine and we do have lead in the stern. I would need to weigh one of the bricks and figure out what the weight is. I do know the suggestion for the "pig iron" was made when we bought the trawler in Cos Cob CT back in the 80's

[River Dawg]

Thanks Reb, maybe that's what we need, just add some weight back aft until we're about level. Where is your lead located ? Guess it wouldn't matter how high or low it is, as long as it's put in evenly. I suppose lead weighs more than iron per cubic foot, but perhaps the iron would be cheaper and easier to get. I've had a bar of lead that I've kept for years, but haven't come across any (or needed to) for a long time.

[rebuckley]

I will get a picture next week - it is all in the lazarette - on the floor, between the fiberglass "stringers" below the rudder and steering assembly and they fit in nicely so they do not move around at all, even when getting bounced around in good seas. From memory - I think the blocks we have are about 3 inches thick, and maybe 6 inches wide by 12 inches long -- I believe there are about 8 or 10 of them - I will get better information next stop down by the boat (unfortunately I am travelling for work this week into next).

[River Dawg]

Thanks Reb,
We just put Southern Tide back in the water today; new bottom paint, new shaft, cleaned/checked the prop, cleaned and repaired the heat exchanger and had the alternator checked out. Oh, new cutless bearing, new coupling, and new stuffing in the stuffing box. Sure runs better with the clean prop and bottom. Have come across some folks who are salvaging an old sailboat and may be able to get some lead from them.

[rebuckley]

River Dawg -
Apologies for my delay in posting this - here is a shot of the lazerette - I have 8 of the blocks back there. They are heavier than I thought - I would bet they run between 80 and 100 lb each.

[davb1947]

I have a twin engine 1979 Albin 36 and she sits bow down as well.

Can anyone tell me how much weight must be added to the lazarette to bring her level?

[cdsailor]

For the sake of information and those who come along after with some of the same questions, Molly, the boat referred to in the post immediately preceding this, is a twin-engine 1979 Albin 36. Someone posited earlier that the bow-down attitude was perhaps due to a single-engine installation instead of twin. Molly, with her twin engines, sits lower in the water than a single-engine boat, but she still sits down by the bow when her aft water tanks are empty. With those tanks full, she sits close to level.

As far as single v twin and waterlines, comparing Molly (twin Lehman 120s) to a 1980 single-engine sister ship, there are a few interesting differences. Not surprisingly, Molly sits lower in the water, the added 1100 lbs of engine and 525 gallons of fuel in three tanks means, fully loaded, Molly sits with her thru-hulls (sink drains, etc) at - not above - the waterline. Additionally, since the single engine rests lower in the bilge, the saloon floor of single-engine boats is lower, which translates to a lower flybridge. Molly's saloon floor is probably 6" or so higher than her sister ship. Her flybridge sits 5" higher as well.

I might add that there are lead ingots located under Molly's aft berth, which is on the port side.

I'm sure there are other differences that I have yet to note, but not having much time to climb around in a single-engine vessel limits my knowledge.

[jleonard]

Interesting observations. I don't like the low thru hulls, but it is what it is.

[cdsailor]

Interesting observations. I don't like the low thru hulls, but it is what it is.

Neither do I. They are above the waterline, but just. Perhaps I'll get ambitious and raise them after we get a few other projects conquered. I'm not overly keen on matching gelcoat after making a repair, but, who knows, maybe a new bootstripe would cover the area.

If you enlarge this image, you can see the thru-hulls in relation to the waterline. Nope, not ideal, but at least they have seacocks.

IMG_2994.JPG