A boats "lines", how to verify?

[Patrick Turner]

I recently purchased an 1979 CD36 that needs some TLC to bring her back. One of many jobs is a new bottom paint job.I noticed while she was sitting in the water that, judging by the water lines she was sitting a little low at the bow. She is now on the hard for some work....here is what I see....there are 3 visible "lines"..... a boot stripe, the bottom paint and the stain from where she sits in the water....they are all three a little different. What I mean is....the bottom paint which bleeds over to cover part of the boot stripe, looks like it is at a slightly different angle then the boot stripe.....the amount of boot stripe visible is quite a bit more at the stern then the bow. It is also different port to starboard. There is more boot stripe visible along one side then the other. Then the waterline stain is also at a slightly differnt angle then either the boot stipe or bottom paint. Now I know that the boats "real" lines are where it is stained....cuz that is obviously how she sits in the water, but why would the other 2 lines be different? I guess what I am trying to figure out is....is she really sitting where she is supposed to and the other 2 lines are just "goofs" or is one of the other lines correct and she is not (for some reason) sitting where she was designed to.....does that make sense? Is there a formula, or does someone out there in Cape Dory world know how to figure out where the real lines are supposed to be. Is there a CD36 owner out there who for some oddball reason knows what the measurement is from the rub rail to the water line at various locations along the boat? I plan on replacing the boot stipe and would like to get it all right so......

Any and all information would be appreciated.

Pat



patrick.t@home.com

[Tom]

I recently purchased an 1979 CD36 that needs some TLC to bring her back. One of many jobs is a new bottom paint job.I noticed while she was sitting in the water that, judging by the water lines she was sitting a little low at the bow. She is now on the hard for some work....here is what I see....there are 3 visible "lines"..... a boot stripe, the bottom paint and the stain from where she sits in the water....they are all three a little different. What I mean is....the bottom paint which bleeds over to cover part of the boot stripe, looks like it is at a slightly different angle then the boot stripe.....the amount of boot stripe visible is quite a bit more at the stern then the bow. It is also different port to starboard. There is more boot stripe visible along one side then the other. Then the waterline stain is also at a slightly differnt angle then either the boot stipe or bottom paint. Now I know that the boats "real" lines are where it is stained....cuz that is obviously how she sits in the water, but why would the other 2 lines be different? I guess what I am trying to figure out is....is she really sitting where she is supposed to and the other 2 lines are just "goofs" or is one of the other lines correct and she is not (for some reason) sitting where she was designed to.....does that make sense? Is there a formula, or does someone out there in Cape Dory world know how to figure out where the real lines are supposed to be. Is there a CD36 owner out there who for some oddball reason knows what the measurement is from the rub rail to the water line at various locations along the boat? I plan on replacing the boot stipe and would like to get it all right so......

Any and all information would be appreciated.

Pat

Pat, I can't answer all your technical questions, but here's something to consider when changing your water line. When the boat is sitting in the slip with no one in the cockpit the bow will nose down a little from the anchor chain, water in the bow tank, etc. You might consider filling the tanks and putting whatever number of people you usually have in the cockpit when sailing aboard and then checking the waterline. Passenger weight all goes in the stern along with the inflatable if that's where you store it and a lot of gear in the cockpit lockers etc. You might load the boat as you usually sail her before marking the waterline for good.

When I bought my boat, the fellow in the yard told me that I could correct the waterline every year when I haul until I get it right. That's what I did and I've changed mine I guess four times since I bought her. I like my bottom paint to carry up a little higher than most people so I did that and then raised the bootstripe to account for it. I also widened the bootstripe to make the freeboard look slimmer which makes the boat look sleeker. It's nice to know where the original waterline was so that you can see how much you've overloaded her as you pile the gear into her , but to some extent it's owner's choice an d preference. I suppose the purists will come on behind me here and denounce this as sacrilege and Carl will turn over in his grave. but that's what I did and what I do FWIW.



TomCambria@mindspring.com