320 EC Center of Gravity

seacupsseacups Member Posts: 13 ✭✭
in General Boating Questions archive
Does anyone know how I can find the center of gravity for my 320 EC? I need to adjust my tongue weight on my trailer, when the dealer set it up it essentially has zero weight, not ideal for handling!
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  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You should trailer it to a public scale and weigh the tow vehicle n boat, move forward and weigh the load on each trailer axle, finally disconnect and note the whole trailer/boat. Tougue wt should be 7-10% of the trailer n boat.

    Launch the boat and bring tools to slide the trailer winch post toward the hitch. If it's neautral now Id go for 10-12" as a place to start. BoatUS recently published a reduction method to measure a heavy tongue with a bathroom scale. Good luck. Mike
    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
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  • Michael TMichael T Member Posts: 7,227 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2013
    SC as you probably know too little weight on the tongue and you get trailer sway and too much will cause the trailer to steer the car - both not good. As Mike says moving the front rollerpost forward will alter the tongue load very quickly. 12" could easily be plenty. I haven't seen the BoatUS article but I had to borrow a small commercial scale from a friend as my house scale only went to 250lbs. You simply put the tounge wheel on the scale. I always used to run a little less tongue weight than the "charts" suggested. Sometimes for a particular boat it would take me 3 launches to get it right (adjusting the front post three times with the boat in the water). I don't think I ever had to move the front post more that 6'' or maybe 8" at most. Small movements -1 or 2" - can make a lot of difference.Question - do you have the correct trailer fro your boat? My friend showed me his trailer once saying he couldn't get it to balance. It was a bunk trailer (which I prefer). He had to put the boat so far forward to balance the load that the boat transom was about two inches "inside" the ends of the bunks. In my opinion that was really bad as it placed a lot of stress right at the transom joint. The dealer agreed and swapped trailers. If you have a roller trailer that would not be an issue. Take your time and you'll be fine. This is definately something any boater can get right! Good Luck. MT
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  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Reminds me of an old Power & Motor Yacht article, people buying a very expensive yacht were offered an option to 'buy' the CG location. Paid $$ and the sales guy made a plaque that said "CG" and stuck it down below. Easy money. lol

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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