Best weight distribution?

[SkiDeep2001]

I am planning on doing maiden voyage in my 98 w Nissan 50. Planning on 3 days, Seattle to San Juans. Not to sound ignorant but I have no experience with distributing the weight of my supplies. I have a battery just aft/port of galley and one battery starboard just aft of V berth and will have at least 2-12gallon fuel tanks P/S in cockpit.Will be powering and sailing, don't know percentage of each but is there a rule of thumb generally recommended for storage? Can always adjust to conditions but would like to have a rough idea. I know to balance her port to starboard but what is the norm from your guys experience Fore/aft/mid, bow up/down,help me out here. Thanks PS, I will try to be reasonable but if my motorhome and cabover camper are any indication I have a sickness I tend to bring everything plus an extra kitchen sink Don't be too hard on me, I will try to keep things to a minimum. LOL And I have done advanced search on subject but not finding info.

[J.Teixeira]

I will try to do this in a few words...

FOR

Tralering:
- Keep in mind the balance of weight to the trailer axis.
- Verify the weight limit of your tongle after loading the boat.
- Move the maximum weight to the car. (except gas)

Sailing and motoring:
- Move the heavy items to the bow. (water, food, batteries...)
- move light and voluminous items to the stern (life jackets, sails, canvas...)

Check Dunn web, he made very useful lists and drawings.

http://home.comcast.net/~duane.dunn/storage.htm

Have fun

Jose

[Terry]

To give you an idea I'll tell you this.
My friend and I were powering over to Blaine Harbour from Point Roberts (just north of you) for the annual Regatta. We were cruising along at 5000 rpm maintaining about 10-11 knots. He was at the helm while I was sitting on the traveller when I turned to him and said watch your speed while I crawl up into the v-berth. When I got there he hollered that he had just gained over one knot of speed and that the bow had come down a bit. I went back to the cockpit and the stern dropped back down as did his speed. I told him I just wanted to demonstrate how weght distribution can impact performance and that he should be aware of this when loading his boat fo any trips. The two 12 gallon gas tanks are heavy and you will need to compensate by moving other heavy stuff forward, also passengers like the cockpit and they are heavy too.

ON EDIT
This test was done with empty ballast because we were in a hurry to get there.

[irayone]

Hi Please correct me if I am wrong....I was told that the mac 26 M was bow heavy and tp place weight in the stern???????

[Divecoz]

Hi Please correct me if I am wrong....I was told that the mac 26 M was bow heavy and tp place weight in the stern???????

IMHO and from my own personal experience, it sure can do just that . I need to post the rest of my pictures from my winter trip but suffice to say my bow easily drops to cover the boot stripe while my aft shows the same stripe is close to a foot above the water?
Unlike the X the M has easy access to the aft berth and that allows that inviting forward V berth to become an out of the way, storage locker!!!
Humm if I get the chance to add pictures anytime soon, you'll see that is the case and in spite of my personal 200 LBS and 24 gallons of gas and misc. stored in the cockpit with a 50 HP Mercury 4 stroke Big Foot hanging off the back ..... my bow can stillllllll PLOW!

[Highlander]

With the wedge kit & 75hp merc can't say I have that problem

J

[J.Teixeira]

On mi I installed:

A 40 US gallons flexible water tank under the V berth.
A 120 Ah Battery
And the toolbox

Motoring and sailing the differences have been HUGE.

jose

[Night Sailor]

What works for me is adding weight forward. I have one battery, two 9 gal. water tanks, and a good sized tool/parts box under the v berth. It did help sailing maneuvers. I think even more motoring gains can be made so I installed a 5 degree transom wedge but have yet to test it. Based on the results of others, I expect good things on long motor runs at cruising speeds without loading more gear forward as we use the v berth fo sleeping.

[bubba]

To use the spinnakers we clear the bow birth of everything but the sails and try to balance the weight by looking at the water line and then adding my wife and my weight. If you are running down wind put the weight to the aft other wise keep it forward and always keep extra weight below the table height whether it is an M or X. The X has a flatter plaining hull and sails different that an M.

[SkiDeep2001]

Thanks for all your replies

[efalstrem]

On Saturday I flushed my water tank which is built in right forward of the gallley on the port side. I think it holds about 15 gallons. I also have a full 25 litre gas tank stored in the port storage aft in the cockpit. I noticed tonight that the boat has about a five degree list to port. Does anybody consider this to be normal under these loading parameters. I haven't flooded the water ballast yet.

[Boblee]

Under normal circumstances the will be stern heavy to level but flooding the ballast will make it bow heavy.
I have had the same experience as Terry by moving forward and dropping the bow you gain easily an extra knot on calm water but it can get wet in rough water.
We have 100l of water storage plus a battery and tools under the front v berth but only fill the water tank for long (two weeks) trips as we have 80-90l under the rear berth.

[Trouts Dream]

I have an X and have found it lists about 5 degrees to port most of the time. I have to keep thi in mind when loading the boat. I've never had the boat in the water without gear on board so I don't know how it floats empty.