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water pooling

Good morning,

We have water pooling on the starboard side of the cockpit on the seat. When it really rains the water pools from the corner to the front of the companionway. Any thoughts on why it would pool in this area?

Shannon
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Anyway to balance the boat to prevent the list?

Just have to look at weight distribution on the boat...which side's water tanks you fill (I tend to stick with my starboard tank), is your holding tank full (mine is on port), do you have a lot of gear stored inside the boat on the starboard side, and so on.
 
Balancing act

Just have to look at weight distribution on the boat...which side's water tanks you fill (I tend to stick with my starboard tank), is your holding tank full (mine is on port), do you have a lot of gear stored inside the boat on the starboard side, and so on.

Our water tank, batteries are all on the starboard side. I am going to take a bit of inventory and see if I can balance it a bit better.

Hmm, I also have a number of books on that side of the boat.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Some of us keep the water tank low unless heading off on a cruise.

On the 381, the 40-gallon tank (more than 300 pounds) under the starboard berth creates most of the list.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Hi Shannon,

As others have indicated, boats often do list a bit to one side or the other. However, I'm a bit puzzled, given that we have the same boats albeit a couple years apart, that you have that much pooling where we have none. So I would start to problem solve by emptying everything possible from the boat--water tanks, holding tank, etc., and temporarily moving any substantial items off the boat (onto the dock or somewhere). If you know approximately how much fuel you have, you can calculate the weight of that. Having removed as much as possible, I would use a large level (3 feet would be good) to check various places on the boat--across the stern lockers behind the wheel, on the salon floor, in the V-berth without the cushions, etc. to see if there is a noticeable and consistent list to starboard that would explain your water pooling. If you find that consistent list, then think about how you might rebalance to minimize that. If you have the optional bow water tank, you could use that instead of the starboard one, put only lighter items in the starboard hanging locker, etc.

If you don't notice a consistent list at most points on the boat, it's possible that the layup of the boat left a lower section in that corner of the cockpit when the boat was built. While I think that's unlikely, as they probably used the same mould for the E30+, it's the only other explanation I can think of if the boat is otherwise level.

Good luck in solving this one!
Frank
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
We are often shown photos of the assembly line tank at the Ericson factory, which they reportedly used to fine-tune the trim of each boat, due to differences in furnishings, options, etc. But who knows what has happened to each boat since that day? Just the preponderance of all large storage spaces on my boat being on the port side leads to an inevitable annoying list that other people might not even notice. And a permanent water stain where drips pool over in that corner... Anyhow, I've noticed that me taking a nap on the starboard settee seems to level out the boat pretty well. Which gives a pretty good idea of the magnitude of the problem. It doesn't take much mass to tip these mid-sized boats a little. Also a hint that crew or bystanders make pretty good self-adjusting ballast for testing out weight distribution patterns.
 

gabriel

Live free or die hard
Sounds like you just have a weight distribution issue but here's a though anyhow: the inner liner on my E25 does not sit perfectly level inside the hull, it was glued-in tilting slightly to starboard. These boats are well made for production boats but Ericson wasn't building them like pianos.

As already said, a straight 2 x 4 and a level tells all.

PS have you looked at your mast?
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
I have lead ingots fiberglassed in on the port side just ahead of the fuel tank. Looks like they were factory installed. The same could be done aftermarket.
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
Just a thought... everybody is concerned about the port-starboard trim. Are you trying to get the water to pool on both sides equally? I would suggest getting some weight out of the bow so the water runs off of the settees to the stern. That's the way it works on the E-34s. Is the E-30+ different?
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
That's a good thought, Tom. However, on my 1984 E30+ I don't get any significant pooling, and can't think of a really good reason why Shannon gets so much pooling in the starboard corner by the companionway. Hence my suggestion in the post above and my focus on port/starboard rather than fore/aft.
Frank
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
That's a good thought, Tom. However, on my 1984 E30+ I don't get any significant pooling, and can't think of a really good reason why Shannon gets so much pooling in the starboard corner by the companionway. Hence my suggestion in the post above and my focus on port/starboard rather than fore/aft.
Frank

Frank - You have the same boat. Which way does the water leave you settees? Forward or aft? That was the question that needs an answer. Surely you have hosed out the cockpit.
 
Mast?

Sounds like you just have a weight distribution issue but here's a though anyhow: the inner liner on my E25 does not sit perfectly level inside the hull, it was glued-in tilting slightly to starboard. These boats are well made for production boats but Ericson wasn't building them like pianos.

As already said, a straight 2 x 4 and a level tells all.

PS have you looked at your mast?

Why the mast?
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Yes, Tom, I've hosed down the cockpit a few times in my 13 years owning this boat. ☺️
Our cockpit is fairly flat, with perhaps a1/4 cup pooling in the port corner, but then runs aft gradually towards the two scuppers.
Frank
Ps. Shannon, the reason for the mast is that if the rig tuning is off, pulling the mast to starboard, that could change the boat trim.
 
Next steps

We have emptied the boat and will take some time next weekend to see the level of the boat.

We do have weight on the bow with a large anchor (35 lb) and a windless.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Wonder if using a level for the cockpit and also for the vertical mast would give some useful data?
For instance, even if the hull is (or can be made to be) floating level, you would still have some weight off center if the spar is not also vertical. If the mast leans a degree or two to one side, the effect of the high-up aluminum and rig would equal a small person moving toward that side at deck level.
At least that's my suspicion -- just a guess.
 
Wonder if using a level for the cockpit and also for the vertical mast would give some useful data?
For instance, even if the hull is (or can be made to be) floating level, you would still have some weight off center if the spar is not also vertical. If the mast leans a degree or two to one side, the effect of the high-up aluminum and rig would equal a small person moving toward that side at deck level.
At least that's my suspicion -- just a guess.

Fascinating. I would have never thought of the mast. I will report back what we find.
 
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