T&T: Heeling and fuel tank crossover

[hymarks at mindspring.com]

My KK42 is (I think) fairly well balanced with batteries split on each side and water tanks near centerling.

There is a 30 gal hot water tank on Starboard.

I can fill up and have both tanks at what appears to be the same level however especially with guest aboard and sleepng on starboard side by the morning I will have a 3 degree  list.

There is a 3/8ths ID hose (at bottom of tank) going from one tank to the other.  I have lots of valves to allow me to polish one tank and run on the other or just draw from one tank and not the other.  However none of these valves shut off the "cross over" line.

I can shut off either tank but do not want to do this since the valves for controlling polishing  etc are after the tank shut off valve.

I could put a shut off valve in the cross over line itself and this would not prohibit any of the functions of the valves that allow polishing and running at the same time.

Is there a reason to always have a way for one tank to equalize with the other.  Obviously when I am heeled the fuel does not flow back 'uphill"  so perhaps the liquid level is even but the boat surely is not.  Whether it is a load distribution problem or perhaps one tank is physically just an inch or two higher than the other one I do not know.

It seems to me that putting a shut off valve in the crossover line would work.

What say you experts?

Thanks

Stephen Starling
KK42

Anchored in Liberty Island loooking at Lady Liberty!