"I don't want the waterline. I want to level the boat on the trailer.
I'll explain. I want to add a "moveable" gunwale-mount boarding
ladder. I want to be able to hang the ladder aft, not off the transom,
but off the gunwale, to starboard. I also want to be able to hang the
same ladder forward, again, off the gunwale to starboard. If I install
mounting tabs flush with the deck, my ladder will hang askew due to the
boat's shear. So I need to install pads that will level the mounting
tabs in relation to the way the boat will sit in the water and not in
line with the shear. I need to level the boat on the trailer close to
the way it will sit in the water, so that I can get the mounting-tabs
level to the way the boat will sit in the water."
In that case, if I weren't sure what level was close enough to suit me,
I'd put the boat in the water. However, if your boat already
has a boot stripe, you'll be very close if you just make the ladder
square to it. The pitch of the boat will change some depending
on loading anyway. Busca has a boot stripe and on the MSOG page there
is a photo in my Lake Huron story that shows her
at a dock and the whole boot stripe is under water at the bow! That's
because of all the water jugs I had stowed under the vee-berth.
Tod
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