T&T: Heeling and fuel tank crossover

[Dave Cooper]

Mike and Kevin are right on. Any crossover line no matter how small will
eventually lead to the movement of liquids to one side or the other. It is
impossible not to.
Once a boat  is out of trim even a degree the flow of liquid starts and
creates more heel which increase the flow and so on. A 1/4" line will free
flow a gallon a minute, given time it will cause the boat to heel, aka list.
This listing of and unto itself will not put your typical trawler in trouble
but as Mike said certainly could contribute to the cause of other troubles.

It is always best to trim your boat to as nearly level as you can, close all
crossovers and manage your water/fuel draw to keep it balanced. It goes thru
the water more efficiently, handles port and/or starboard turns equally and
in general keeps things shipshape inside ;-)

We always make sure Swan Song is trimmed level even in decent seaways. Makes
cruising easy, moving about easier and allows our anti-roll tank to performs
at peak effectiveness.

Close those x-overs!!

As always YMMV.....

Dave & Bill
Swan Song
Roughwater 58
Enroute to Hawaii