The Physics of Listing

C

C-Val

New member
Hi Everyone

Strange thing happened on the Fraser river yesterday with my flat bottom classic in about a 3 knot current ( I don't have trim tabs -- yet)

We had just a slight list to port going down river with 4 people aboard.
As soon as I turned around to face the current on my starboard bow, the list to port suddenly became very dramatic. I had to suddenly stop the boat (in which case my wife was just standing up to move and fell over!)and rearrange my gear.

Does this make sense to anyone? This is the second time this has happened and both times were in the river when I changed direction.

Would trim tabs actually help with this or is it my driving that needs to improve?

If so I was reading here about Bennett Tabs M120. Would that be the correct ones for my '81 classic?

Still Learning (with a few bruises to go along with it!)
David and Val
 
What speed were you running at, up and down river? Did the sudden list occur during turning or after turning. The difference is speed thru the water--and yes, increasing speed thru the water may increase listing in some circumstances.

Trim Tabs are only effective at speed--to some degree at displacement speeds, and more at planing speeds.
 
If I understand you correctly (covering my ass) you had a list to port, turned so that the current hit your starboard bow and the list increased.

If I got it correct, that's what I would expect to happen. A force on the starboard side, caused by the current, would push and roll you to port, especially if you were already listing to port, increasing the starboard cross section.

Boris
 
Yes Boris that is exactly what happened

Dr Bob I was cruising down river at displacement speed and when I turned around I kicked it up to planing speed - about 20 knts
 
At displacement speed, best to trim the boat by moving people and gear. If there is already a list--as Boris notes, either the current, or a sudden turn, especially to port, would increase the list. At the higher speed the list might be more.

If the C Dory goes over a wake, hits a current, and the bow is trimmed own, at times the list can be severe enough to throw people off balance. I have bubble levels for both fore and aft and lateral trim. I try and keep the boat trimmed level. In the 22 especially, if on plane, I would ask Marie to tell me if she were going to cross from one side to the other, so I could compensate with the trim tabs, and also not be taken by surprise by the change in steering force needed.
 
The C Dory has a hard chine that can "catch an edge" crossing an eddy or entering current at an angle. Whitewater kayakers are familiar with this and when leaving the river current and entering an eddy, where the water is basically running upstream, it is necessary to anticipate, lean over, and brace with the paddle. There is no way to do this in a larger boat and, depending on your bottom configuration, can shift the boat sharply to one side for much longer than one expects. This may be what you experienced.

There is a YouTube video of a tug attempting to run up along the shore on one of the BC narrows. When they cut into the current attempting to shoot through the narrows, the current catches the hard chine on the steel tug. The difference in current is essentially a 20 knot current coming at 90 degrees. The 75 foot tug slowly leans over, causing the chine to dig deeper, and turns turtle.

Trim tabs can't really help on this because it is caused by water going sideways over the chine.

Mark
 
journey on":l9khjopo said:
If I understand you correctly (covering my ass) you had a list to port, turned so that the current hit your starboard bow and the list increased.

If I got it correct, that's what I would expect to happen. A force on the starboard side, caused by the current, would push and roll you to port, especially if you were already listing to port, increasing the starboard cross section.

Boris
Click to expand...

Isn't this basically "bow steer"? Can be a bit of a surprise if you are not expecting it.
 
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