94 StarCraft 1700 leaning left at rest and on plane

[Spared]

Hey folks. Pretty new to all this.

Last summer I purchased a 1994 StarCraft 1700 Bowrider. The original owner used it to fish only. Had a troll plate on the 90 Merc and everything. We used it a few times last year and it was perfect.

Had it stored with the bow and cabin covers buttoned on, under a covered livestock corral at Fairgrounds all winter. Was protected well from what I can tell.

Got it on the water this year and first couple times out everything seemed great. Pulled kids tubing, and went for a joy ride. The next time I went out to take a friend fishing, out of the blue I noticed the boat leaned to the left on plane even though I outweigh him by a good 100lbs.

After I trailered it that day, I noticed back home that it was leaning that way on the trailer (so, when it was empty and trailered it was leaning just sitting in the water). I've put it in a couple more times, and definitely can visually see it listing in the water at rest. On plane it is very pronounced, regardless of weight distribution of passengers.

External inspection looks perfect. It is never left in the water. I put the bow and cabin covers on when it's out. I feel like water has somehow collected somewhere in the hull, and I can't figure out how or why it would suddenly do that. No water in the bilge or center hold. There are no holes drilled in the stern on that side for anything.

And to top it all off, now the motor has developed an issue, seemingly with the ignition that I'm troubleshooting, but that's another group

Any ideas on what the heck to look for? I've looked in the bilge, I've looked everywhere I can inside, I can't figure out where water would be.

 

[classiccat]

That's a glasser I believe; Must of us deal with Aluminum hulls.

Waterlogged foam &/or sealed sub-deck cavities would be my guess; foam can hold 100's of #s of water.

So I can't really help with the least destructive method/location of testing the foam.

Is there a ski locker where you drill-in through the sides to take "core" samples?

 

[mattsteg]

Is it possible that you just didn't notice this the first few outings? On the trailer depending on the trailer it'll just sut however you loaded it, and at speed the motor can induce some lean. If it's a problem and developed that quickly...you'd probably see some dripping. Do you store it bow-high with the plug out?

From past experience it's easy to love out new toys and suddenly (or gradually) notice quirks after a few uses.

 

[bchaney]

I agree with Matt, it's likely something that was there but wasn't noticed last season. Are there heavy things like batteries, fuel tank, anchor, etc. stored on the port side? It wasn't sitting in storage at an angle, was it? It's hard to imagine how the foam would become waterlogged only on one side of the boat

 

[Spared]

Thanks for the responses.

It is a fiberglass hull. It is possible I just didn't notice it at first last season it this season. Storage was level from what I could tell. I keep it bow high with the plug out at the house. The only thing on that side for weight is the battery, but that doesn't weigh enough to effect lean at plane when I put more people on the right side.

It's been out of the water for several weeks now while I Troubleshooting no spark on one cylinder. As soon as I sort that I'll get it back in. I did adjust the torque tab to see if that helps push the motor over a little, but noticing it at rest is what got me. But, with no one in the boatvboat, that could very well be the battery weight since It is all the way to one side.

I'll get back with you when I can do more Troubleshooting in the water.