sslocum
Well-known member
With respect to what the engineer said about how you use your boat and everything else I will say that a list of several inches on a small boat is dangerous. I am a retired Navy guy and I can tell you that a noticable list in any boat or ship contributes to instability on the vessel and significantly increases your risk for rollover. That is why they spend so much time on cargo ships evening out the load. Trim tabs are there to correct list when the boat is loaded unevenly but the general idea is to have the port and starboard sides evenly loaded and the heaviest stuff centerline (e.g.) the gas tank. I would not go out on the water in any ship much less a small boat that lists several degrees to one side for no apparent reason. You definitely need to find the root cause before you go out on your boat again. It may be fine in calm water but if you get into some rough stuff you could have major problems. Sorry if I sound like an alarmist but it is better to be safe than to be sorry.