Boat Leveling

[Cruiser2B]

Looking for a good way to ensure my boat is level when setting it in yard for long term refit. I will be using my trailer as a cradle during the refit. I will be pulling the axles out from under the trailer and lowering it to the ground.
Where is a good place to take front to back and side to side leveling, I was thinking the cockpit seats and deck bridge area. Would like to here how others do it.

Thank you

[CharlieJ]

Side to side, I would open the companionway and lay a level across there. IF  the companionway is in the center.

Fore and aft would depend on the boat.

[k chiswell]

For fore and aft I used a laser level and lined it up with the waterline.  My boat always sits a little heavy in the bow so I lowered the bow slightly (.5" on a 25ft waterline) so I was working with the boat in the same position it sits in the water.  I used the laser again to tape the waterline when painting.

[Jim_ME]

If you don't have a laser level, you can add some clear hose
[http://www.amazon.com/Mayes-Level-10309-Water/dp/B00004YZP8]
to the ends of a garden hose to make a water level.

Or just use a long piece of clear hose.

Simple and accurate.

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/WaterLevel.htm

[Cruiser2B]

Thanks you all for the suggestions, I am wanting it level because I plan to redo parts of the interior and would like it level when she sits in the water. She sat on her water line fairly even from what i could tell. I will probably give water level a try and see where flat interior surfaces fall.

Thank you

[Sooner]

C2b - Do you have another reason to remove the axels?  2 jackstands in the back end and a shop jack on the tongue worked fine for me.  Water level worked - easy leveling the waterline.  I figured I could then get in the cabin and find level various places - turned out level and square were not very usable words inside the cabin of a hunter 23.
just saying
jim

[Cruiser2B]

C2b - Do you have another reason to remove the axels?  2 jackstands in the back end and a shop jack on the tongue worked fine for me.  Water level worked - easy leveling the waterline.  I figured I could then get in the cabin and find level various places - turned out level and square were not very usable words inside the cabin of a hunter 23.
just saying
jim

I was going to remove wheels and axles and store them indoors as I am not sure of time frame of this refit, could be 1 year or 3. Tires are new and dont want them to sit outside and dry rot. I also figured I could lower the whole boat by about a foot.

[gregorygraham]

I have a related question.  I recall that last Fall my boat was placed on its cradle with the port side slightly lower than the starboard.  Since launching her this past Spring, I am noticing she seems to be listing slightly to port.  Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, what did you do about it?  Did it resolve itself?

[w00dy]

Just a guess here, take it for what its worth:

When your boat was hauled out of the water, if it was already heeled/listing due to uneven weight distribution of some kind, then it may have been set down from the slings in the same orientation. Is it possible that you only began to notice it after she was hauled and blocked? Is the boat leaning in the same orientation in the water as on the hard? Have you tried re distributing the weight in the boat to correct for this? What changes did you make to the boat while hauled out?

[gregorygraham]

I don't recall the boat listing before last year's haul-out.  I don't now and did not previously have anything stored on the boat which might contribute to the listing.  This is why the listing now seems so mysterious, apart from its placement on the cradle.  The placement on the cradle may have exacerbated the fact that a Northern 29 has its engine on the port side (with a diagonal drive shaft).  It may have been the low port side placement plus the weight of the engine on the port side which was enough to cause the listing.