How can i make my 30ft cruiser more stable at sea?

Question

I have a 30ft cruiser with twin 470 merc engines, We are going to cross the english channel in about 6 weeks, what can i do to make it more stable at sea?

Answer 1

do you already have adjustable trim tabs on it?  if not, try it.  water bladders are available everywhere these days,  if you have room to place them.

Answer 2

Anti-roll stabilizers on a 30 ft. planing hull aren't a very viable option.  Perhaps you might be able to upgrade your trim tabs if you have them.  Other than getting as much weight below decks as is practical, reducing your windage and speed are about all you're going to be able to do.  Be very mindful of the weather and tides.  Good luck.

Answer 3

It does sound as though your rather inexperienced to even own such a boat.  With twin 470 engines in a 30 footer (that is a lot of power in such a small boat) you potentially could cross the channel from Portsmouth to Cherbourg in 3 to 4 hours so it all comes down to weather watching and choosing a good window.  (I do not interpret your question in the way that you intend to take 6 weeks to cross the channel, and you dont mention which part of the channel you're talking about - east west or midway)  The shipping traffic in the channel is always an issue but more so for us slow sailers than the gas guzzlers.  Safety in crossing the channel has much less to do with the stability of the boat and much more to do with your competence to plan and execute the trip.  With any power boat your stability will depend a lot on the angle you hit any waves and the speed you try and do it.

Have you actually had any training in seamanship?  If not then why not get some.

Answer 4

not enough time i know...automatic stabilisers,hydraulic or electric.

Answer 5

the boat is not nearly important as your ability to handle it in rough weather. twin engines are mandatory, a GPS unit radar. auto pilot, fuel capacity, spare parts such as engine drive belt,flaresand flare gun , first aid kit, fresh water supply, food and a life raft. these are just a few things to insure your safety. i regularly run from miami to the bahamas in a 30ft.searay with no problem but  if the seas are over 4ft. its a no go.

Answer 6

cut it in haft and ad another 10 feet

Answer 7

When you say stable what do you mean? If the craft rolls heavily, ie from side to side, when the waves are from the side this is natural. Actually the more stable the craft is the quicker and more uncomfortable the rolling is. If you want the craft to stop rolling then you will need pretty big stabilisers I would say that your craft is quite stable enough.

Answer 8

just  invite  some more  friends  =  more  ballast

Answer 9

check your tyre pressure

Answer 10

Add ballast to get more hull beneath the waves and lower the CofG.  Or buy a boat with a deep V hull.  Is Autumn a good time to cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world?

Keep an eye on those weather forecasts, especially those temps and dewpoints, if they come within 5 degrees of each other, don't cross.

Don't rely on a radar reflector either, if your boat is of the Tupperware variety.

If the fog does appear, talk to anybody and everybody.

You may not be able to do too much to your boat, but a stable attitude to safety is worth more than gold.

Answer 11

Make sure you have adequate 'ballast'.  Comfort at sea depends entirely on what the weather is doing and what the sea state is like - do your research and keep up to date wth weather conditions before you set off, and during the trip

Answer 12

grow some balls  people swim across the bloody thing. id take my tinny across if i lived over there

Answer 13

take the ferry

Answer 14

Sell it and buy a bigger boat,

Answer 15

unless its full of holes you can cross easily.you afraid of spilling you pimms.?

Answer 16

Any boat will be more stable when the centre of gravity is lowered.

Basically that means putting as much weight as possible lower down in the boat and below the surface.

Life boats from the RNLI are designed to, if they capsize, right themselves automatically because the boat is so bottom heavy that the weight will always fall back towards the sea.

A little extra weight as low down as you can get it will help.

Answer 17

go out on calmer waters

Answer 18

It usually has to do with the hull design. I'm not sure if they make them or if you have the money but HydroFoils would surly work.