There is a super simple method one step above even the very simple water level method. A rolling cart also requires a smooth level floor.
The cheap dual axis laser level, $39 at most big box stores or on line for even less. Level the boat, establish the fore n aft waterline marks at the stem and transom, dim the lights and voila a perfect waterline. I usually mark it with a fine felt tip pen and/or a pizza cutter for a permanent mark.
What Howard describes, mark at bow and aft near transom than use laser level, is how I marked the waterline on the Sages that I painted with anti-fouling.
I did the waterline on Jaunty the old fashioned way, I took the unpainted, epoxy clad boat down to the lake and set it in next to the dock. Using an indelible marker, I marked the floatation levels for an accurate and genuine waterline.
I have tried the laser level or the roller cart and two pencils and much prefer the latter. It does, as Mr rice points out, require a level floor but so far I’ve been lucky in having one close enough that my eye can’t see the error (and both sides of the boat at once). I found that so long as I “level” the boat so that the pencil lines cross chines at the same waterline length each side, that no one can tell my floor isn’t truly planar.
There is a super simple method one step above even the very simple water level method. A rolling cart also requires a smooth level floor.
The cheap dual axis laser level, $39 at most big box stores or on line for even less. Level the boat, establish the fore n aft waterline marks at the stem and transom, dim the lights and voila a perfect waterline. I usually mark it with a fine felt tip pen and/or a pizza cutter for a permanent mark.
What Howard describes, mark at bow and aft near transom than use laser level, is how I marked the waterline on the Sages that I painted with anti-fouling.
Hey Scoop..................and the laser makes a fine cat toy when done:-)
This is brilliant, as are most of the videos on this channel- https://youtu.be/dEoi2E05zDU
That is a hard way to mark a waterline. One can use a simple water level and complete the task in much less time.
I did the waterline on Jaunty the old fashioned way, I took the unpainted, epoxy clad boat down to the lake and set it in next to the dock. Using an indelible marker, I marked the floatation levels for an accurate and genuine waterline.
I have tried the laser level or the roller cart and two pencils and much prefer the latter. It does, as Mr rice points out, require a level floor but so far I’ve been lucky in having one close enough that my eye can’t see the error (and both sides of the boat at once). I found that so long as I “level” the boat so that the pencil lines cross chines at the same waterline length each side, that no one can tell my floor isn’t truly planar.
Has anyone tried a laser level?