Legend 35.5 leaning to starboard.

May 8, 2017
43
Hunter Legend 35.5 Lake Balaton
I purchased a 1992 Legend 3 years ago in Holland. She is leaning to sb-side about 1-2 degree and can not find the reason why. On dry the watermark shows that it was the same before I brought it over to Hungary. If the mast installed perpendicular to the water surface than changing tack and maintaining the same angle of wind direction the distance from the shrouds will change and I have to adjust the jib. If the mast installed perpendicular to the boat no adjustments needed. I removed and replaced everything heawy to the opposite side with no change in leaning angle. The wingkeel looks o.k. (no sign of any bump and hangs straight). The body has no sign of any previous grand repair. All together everything as it should be, I asked the previous owner but he said he did not notice leaning. He used the boat very little in the past 24 years and he was obviously not a serious sailer. It bothers me tremendously because all my previous boats have no similar problems. Anybody have the same experience with a Hunter or any other makes? Comments are appreciated (except saying that it is not a serious issue and keep sailing).
 
Mar 3, 2003
710
Hunter 356 Grand Rivers
Two degrees is not too much. Most boats have some lean due to unequal weight on board from centerline. This will vary based on water, fuel and waste tank location and amount of volume of each along with what is permanently installed. If you want it perfectly balanced, then get some weight on the port side. Experiment until it is exactly level, but when you get people and gear on board it will change slightly based on where the people and their gear are located relative to centerline. The lighter the boat, the more impact external loads have on the lean. It’s simple physics of weight times distance of load to centerline and is called “moment”. The moment on one side counteracts the moment on the other side. The port side average of all these loads has to equal the starboard side loads for the boat to be equally loaded and with no lean.

Go sailing and don’t worry about 2 degrees. It washes out with the tacks. If you are a racer, then get it perfectly balanced.
 
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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
I would look for: galley, batteries, water, holding tank, head, make sure no water has collected beneath the liner. All these things can effect the boat. Also, where is the propane bottle?
 
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
I had a similar problem the day after we purchased our Beneteau, except on the port side. We had filled both water tanks, unbeknown to us, the aft tank leaked, so water filled the aft end of the boat enough to heal us approx. 3-4 degrees, it stayed that way until the fall winterizing. The boat being aft low-in-the-water didn't allow the water to reach the bilge pump, until the boat was hauled on the trailer. I hope your problem is as simple! You can see in the picture how low we are.
 

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Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
I think I'd take a carpenter's level and compare the mast with the boat. If it's not the mast or keel, it sounds like a loading issue. I'm wondering if the keel is actually centered?

Ken
 
May 8, 2017
43
Hunter Legend 35.5 Lake Balaton
Thanks guys for your advices. I am racing and it is more work and time when tacking. I understand momentum but the weight of the boat is 6 tons. The water heater, fuel tank, all 3 heawy batteries,hydraulic drive unit, waste tank are all on portside. The water tank is in the center and 2 gas bottles (15 kg) are on sb-side. Somebody suggested the keel might not be in the center. How can one measure this? Other comments still wellcome.
 
May 8, 2017
43
Hunter Legend 35.5 Lake Balaton
Thanks for your reply Ken. I understand momentum but the boat weight is 6 tons. Every heawy stuff like batteries, waste tank, water heater, hydraulic drive unit are on portside and water tank in the center. How can one measure if the keel is centered or not? Other comments are still wellcome.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
The last guy I knew who was a serious racer had removed all but one battery and had reduced the size of that one to the minimum necessary to start the engine. TWO propane tanks? He raced with none. He kept all his water & waste tanks and water heater empty when racing,
Bilge was actually vacuumed dry before each race and his anchor was the tiniest allowed, stowed under the salon floor. Perhaps if you got her to that point weight wise you might find your list as you brought things back on board after the racing season.
 
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Jun 13, 2010
70
Hunter 1994 Hunter 35.5 Legend walker, mn
My 1994 35.5 had a slight lean to starboard ...at the dock I moved the traveler over to port to balance it out....one day I put some sandbags on the deck to see how much weight I needed over on the port side...I think it was about 200 pounds....my 1987 34 hunter had similar issues....I don't think it's all that uncommon....you can move things, add weight to change.....that kind of stuff drove me nuts...
 
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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I have merged the two threads. Having two or more threads of the same subject is hard to follow.
 
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Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
I have wondered if lists like this are a symptom of the side stays needing to me adjusted to shorten them on the opposite side of the list. That is such a huge moment arm, one would think it would make a difference. Anyone ever adjust the standing rigging and solve the list problem?
 
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
I'm guessing here so: For measuring the keel position, I think it would need to be done next time the boat is on the hard. I'd just use a tape measure and go from points on the keel to fixed points on the hull. Measure where the keel attaches to the hull for centering. I'd also measure and from the bottom of the keel to a fixed point on the hull on each side to check if it is plumb with the hull. I have no idea how good a perfect one would be, but I'd expect to see some variation. If it's on the hard, you could also get way back and visually check if the mast and keel are in the same plane by looking toward the bow or stern.

Ken
 
May 8, 2017
43
Hunter Legend 35.5 Lake Balaton
My 1994 35.5 had a slight lean to starboard ...at the dock I moved the traveler over to port to balance it out....one day I put some sandbags on the deck to see how much weight I needed over on the port side...I think it was about 200 pounds....my 1987 34 hunter had similar issues....I don't think it's all that uncommon....you can move things, add weight to change.....that kind of stuff drove me nuts...
I feel the same! What I did to "solve" the problem, I purchased a Shure check rig tension meter and adjusted all shrouds perfectly even on both sides (20% uppers, 15% mids, 12% lowers). Before that I adjusted the mast to be perpendicular to the boat and not to the water line and stop lookin up the mast top. In this way when tecking, it looks exactly the same both sides. The momentum generated by the mast is negligable as the mast weight is about 60 kgs against the keel weight of 2200 kgs. And tell myself to feel happy. Anyhow, thanks for all comments.