Water tank on Hunter 26.5

The outboard motor and battery sitting at the aft right corner of the boat induce a tilt in that direction. Was the 23 gallon water tank forward of the mast in the locker under the V berth there as a "foil" to offset the outboard weight or as a necessary item to help the boat qualify as an RV? This is a day sailor, rarely used for overnighting.

 

So does filling the water tank solve the problem?
If not, you need to relocate either the items mentioned or something else to counterbalance.

 

Project boat-not in the water. I moved the single start/house battery from right in front of the transom/outboard motor (by the way, the factory motor bracket is 17" from the transom and the motor weighs about 100 lb) to a cabin settee locker on the opposite-side adjacent to the keel and added a second battery. Do you think the 23 gallons in the water tank sitting ahead of the mast and keel under the v berth are necessary for added stability or was it a necessary evil to help the boat qualify as a recreational vehicle in the eyes of the IRS.

 

I think a water tank, or fuel tank, or any variable load is intelligently located low and central.
Doubt that the designer was trying to dodge the IRS rules, have never seen that on a SOR!

 

Thank you.

 

I've only ever sailed dinghies myself, and I don't know that I'd ever want a larger boat. There's something wonderfully simple and direct about a single sail, a dagger board, and a rudder. It seems to me to be the pleasures of sailing distilled down to their fundamental essence. Sitting mere inches above the water's surface may help.