Chinook 34 down in the bow

[Caolan]

Hello all,

I have not owned my boat for long, only a couple of months, but she seems to be low in the bow. The only two heavy items up there are the anchor chain and the water tank">fresh water tank. The water tank isn't huge at only 20g, and I only have 50' of chain. I cannot imagine those two would cause it to be low in the front.

Any ideas as to what could cause this?

[hpeer]

Perhaps a stupid question but...is she up at the stern or on her lines?

Do you have older photos of her?

I thought my boat was down by the transom, but when I looked at older photos from the PO I could see she was sitting low then also.

[Caolan]

I did look at older pics and it seems the same then as now. I tried looking at earlier pictures of other chinooks as well (there aren't many) and they seem a little low. It could be the guy who did my bottom paint didn't do a very good job of keeping a straight line either.

[Cheechako]

It's all about the design, if the boat wasn't designed for the water and weight forward then it wont sit level. If al the pictures you see of the type are down on the bow.. the boat didn't float right from the start. marine architects don't always get it right...
You probably have the weight of three people standing on the bow (?), any boat that size will be bow down.

[Caolan]

Here's the data on them: CHINOOK 34 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Mine is a 1962. There is a variation in that it is cutter rigged, but otherwise it's spot on.

[Tayana42]

Maybe you need more weight in the stern. Was the boat designed for a bigger engine or generator in the stern? What about stowage of spares, cordage etc? Davits?


S/V B'Shert

[Cheechako]

and where are your batteries?

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by Caolan

IIt could be the guy who did my bottom paint didn't do a very good job of keeping a straight line either.

that is always a possibility .. my previous boat seemed to be heavy in the stern and i relocated some weight from stern to under the vee birth .. it helped.

[CarlF]

Is there a chance that she is on her lines but the boot top is painted wrong?

Very common problem even by original builders.

[Cheechako]

Looking at the pics on line they all seem to float n their lines well. Was the bow tank added?

[SkiprJohn]

I've always appreciated their design and had a friend with one here in the islands. His sat in the water just a little lower in the bow than the one shown on sailboatdata TM. That boot stripe might have gotten misplaced over the years so if yours sits about the same as the one on sailboatdata I'd say it is not a big deal. If you really want to correct it then move that water tank or just keep it empty. You say there are the two items stored int he interior like water tank and anchor chain. Do you have anything else heavy stored above on the bow like anchors, windlass, etc..? Do you have extra rigging forward because it's rigged as a cutter, i. e. staysail stay, bowsprit, heavy levers or hardware? True cutters usually have their masts rigged farther aft which would be more weight aft to balance all the gear added forward.

You've a fine boat there so I hope you can get this sorted out.

Another freind of mine replaced a heavy engine with a lighter version and it did make a difference on the boats lines. Could that have been done?

[Caolan]

Thanks everyone for the questions and answers!

I'll try and answer everyone's questions, ...

Cheechako: The chinook was built to be a blue water boat so it is definitely meant for the water. Batteries are in the rear with the engine. The bow tank is part of the original design.

Tayana42: The engine was replaced 600hrs of runtime ago. Unfortunately I do not know what the new engine replaced. It might have been heavier.

CarlF: That's a possibility. Any ideas on how to fix this the next time it gets done?

SkiprJohn: Thanks! I really love the classic designs. I was looking to buy a 1969 Mariner 40 ketch rig that was for sale but it was sold before I got the money together. But yes all of the equipment you speak of is in the bow: anchor, windlass, bowsprit. The rigging for the staysail is not pinned down currently so that could affect the hull geometry as well. Yes there has been an engine replacement but I do not know what was replaced.

[SkiprJohn]

So what you have on the bow is some extra weight with that bowsprit and standing rigging associated with it, probably a heavy bow roller since you also have a windlass and your engine may be lighter than originally installed. That definitely would put you a bit bow down. Try to balance it out a bit if you can. You could put tankage or batteries aft. Keep the weight low if you can.

I had an old wood Mariner 35 ketch that you might see if you click on my profile page. To my point of view you've made a good choice even though the Mariner would have had quite a bit more interior space.

[Tayana42]

Captan, you mentioned the bow sprit. The images I found on line including sailboatdata.com show the Chinook 34 as a fractional rigged sloop, no bow sprit. That could be part of the issue. By the way, I think it is a beautiful boat that will give you much sailing pleasure.


S/V B'Shert