On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:07:50 -0500, DSK wrote:

Courtney Thomas wrote:
Is there any way to determine 'real' displacement as a practical matter
for a typical sailor, other than loading the boat per it's intended use,
and seeing what happens ? :-)

Sure. A lot of Travel-Lifts have scales built in. Just have one of them
hoist your boat.

An illustrative example or two.

My boat is a light/medium displacement 33 footer rated for 8,800 lbs.
displacement. I am guessing this is "empty".

On the slings it weighs 10,000 lbs. on the nose with lots of tools,
spares, full gas, no water except beer and pop, and three anchors,
chain and about a thousand feet of line. Add 400 lbs. for crew and she
sits on her lines and sails quite well. Fin keel ballast is about 47%
of "empty" weight.

Buddy of mine in a Wallstrom-designed ketch checked with Wallstrom
himself who said it should displace 24,000 lbs. About 30% of that is
in the cutaway forefoot full keel.

Well, in the slings it weighs 36,000 lbs., which should create a new
category of "liveaboard displacement".

Still sails properly and is only a couple of inches south of its
waterline, however.

R.