Danny Boy ballasting round 3 in the test tank.
I was starting to wonder whether the initial ballasting was still ok now that I’ve almost completed the build. I found it was a little to stern heavy and listing slightly to port (the SLA is on its side and the lighter, terminal side is on the starboard which explains some of the list.
I ended up removing a bit of stern ballast and shifting one of the ballast weight from port to starboard by the motor. Ended up much better now, rudder just below water level, and no longer listing. As a bonus the water level is now pretty much on the painted waterline all the way around the hull, so my initial marking wasn’t too far out.
One thing I did realise during this process is just how delicate some of the parts are. I ended up knocking off a couple of the rail stanchions and the stove chimney on the superstructure 😢. Luckily I was able to repair everything and need just a bit of touch up painting to get it sorted.
Normally the superstructure will only need removing for battery replacement, prop shaft servicing, etc. so not all the time. The main hatch removes for access to the main switches which can be done without disturbing much on the boat.