Electric Vent?

[Divecoz]

How Many times have you been alone and desired to drain your ballast? Being solo raises the bar, by needing to climb down dig thru and or into the V berth to remove the plug. At least one cure for this is to run a hose, line, pipe.... to the anchor locker or even to a thru hull..Nothing wrong with that I guess?
My particular thought is to add a 12Volt solenoid valve into the vent hole / system..
I reference "system" because I have already modified my vent to allow me to use a raw water wash down pump to evacuate enough of my ballast to float me off a soft grounding and maybe even a hard one..
Anyway.......any thoughts? How is that anchor locker, ballast vent working? Any issues so far?
On Edit: Who is the member with the vent leading up to the anchor locker..???

[Sugar Bear]

I have comtinplated beaching my with the ballest tank full ( on purpose or by accident) and then pumping it out and then just on my way. I thought about a small 12 v pump or a pump that would connect to a cordless drill. My vent is under the step so I was thinking about just up and out.

[Divecoz]

M's have the vent under the V berth.. Or occasion I have had need to empty the ballast while alone on the boat in open waters. It will drain ( however rather slowly) with the vent in and the discharge open if I motor fast enough..

[vizwhiz]

Would moving a valve to the top and front part of the boat be any easier to reach than under the V-berth? You still have climb up to the front of the boat, possibly in open seas (as someone mentioned) and alone (possibly)...might be safer to be down in the cabin if you have to leave the cockpit when you're alone (as opposed to being on the front deck of the boat)...just thinking...

My suggestion would be to add another vent line to the back of the boat...granted, I am assuming you can tap into the ballast tank and glass a pipe fitting into place with enough integrity that it won't leak into the cabin. This could then be brought up to the cockpit area, so you wouldn't have to leave the cockpit to open a vent to the ballast tank. It may not be a "full venting" fitting that you can use to FILL the ballast tank (may not be at the highest point of the ballast tank) but if you are trying to EMPTY the ballast tank and just need to let air go in while you're pumping water out, it would work. You just need a place open to atmosphere to allow the air into the ballast tank...

[Jim Bunnell]

Perhaps the simplest solution is to run a hose from the vent under the v-berth forward through the foam insulation and up to the drain hose from the anchor locker. Easy enough to do except for some upper-body contortions getting the actual t-fitting hooked up to the anchor drain tube. I have no fitting or closure on the drain, its high enough that it contains the full ballast unless you lay the boat completely on its side. I suppose there is the possibility of eventually reducing the tank level, but it would take a long time heeled way farther over than I'm comfortable with. I have used it this way for several years with no problems - I simply open the rear valve, wait for it to fill, and close it. If I want to drain the tank I just pull the handle up. No need to leave the helm and go forward, inside or outside of the cabin.

[Currie]

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1074

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=999

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=651

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=168

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=72

Lot's of discussions in the forum too. Search: "Ballast and Vent"

[Divecoz]

How Cool Is That!! An Electric Transom Gate!! How is it working in Salt Water?? Some great options have been offered ....Thanks Gents..

[Russ]

If I were doing it, I'd go with the permanent vent to the anchor locker (or wherever) always open. Never need to open/close it again.

This could be modified for pumping out the ballast. Blast air IN through the vent via one of those 12v water toy air pumps to blow the ballast water out the back. Should empty enough to get you off a grounding I would think.



--Russ

[40Toes]

I think I read everything everyone did before I moved my vent. I like simple and “idiot proof” for my special moments so I shyed away from electrically and moving parts. I also like redundancy. I tapped into the vent with a double male brass fitting as many have done and 5200ed for that extra touch. I bought a 3/4" heavy duty hose which was 10 ft long (male fitting on one end, female on the other) and ran it aft to spot just outside the head door (on the ). It is hard mounted with a bracket so only the male end protrudes. I have a brass cap that can screw onto it for a tidy flush fitting.

It is visible and quickly assessable from the cockpit;
I can hear it whistle when it is draining and feel the air when filling (it pretty much vents outside so I don't have deal with the smell in the cabin);
I can cap it to seal the system (at the end of the hose or at the tank) or I can leave it open (with hose attached) and forget about it; and
I can unscrew the hose from underneath the v-berth to visually check, manually dip or, in an emergency, manually drain.

I have been using it for two years now and it is one of the best mods I have done for convenience.

Rod

[Divecoz]

I am thinking I will use a mix of the above.. I now have as I said before, the ability with the flip of a switch to change raw water wash down to ballast drain so I just need to incorporate a passive vent into either the anchor locker or a new thru hull.. I may still depending on design need to add a solenoid so that , the raw water pump will pump ballast water and not air from the vent...,

[Russ]

How long does it take for the "wash down" pump to evacuate the ballast? My wash down pump doesn't seem to have a lot of volume. But I guess if you are on a sandbar, time isn't an issue.

Still, I think blowing it out with air would be faster. I have an air pump but haven't tested the theory.

BTW, wash down pump; great mod. We use ours often.


--Russ

[Divecoz]

I tried air and maybe it was just wrong pump etc. for the job. Then I tried a scuba tank and that didn't work too good either..Two people it would have worked a lot ........better, but I didn't have help. When I got off and got back to my brothers , he was the one who said: Your by yourself. Everything needs to work with one guy doing it.. Lets hook up the raw water pump to drain the ballast. My pump , pumps about 4 gallons a minute .W.M. PAR-Max 4gpm 12V Kit.
About 15 minutes will give me about 60 gallons or about 480 lbs. It lifts my boat several inches .. One man no muss no fuss except to set two anchors and then winch her to open water... AIR.. I think you need to set up for it before you need it.. Your going to need some way to hold the hose in the tank and it would be nice to have a valve you can turn off and keep the pressure where you have it , so to speak... that would give you a chance to run up and close the Inlet..J-IMHO

How long does it take for the "wash down" pump to evacuate the ballast? My wash down pump doesn't seem to have a lot of volume. But I guess if you are on a sandbar, time isn't an issue.

Still, I think blowing it out with air would be faster. I have an air pump but haven't tested the theory.

BTW, wash down pump; great mod. We use ours often.


--Russ

[ALX357]

Here's a link to a previous discussion, http://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB/viewt ... =9&t=15716

and a reiteration of my own posts on the subject.

"Second that passive ballast vent. Best mod I have done on the boat, gives the most effective result on ballast management. Never needs any attention, but just in case I plan on laying on its side for extended time, I installed a heavy-duty ball valve in the ballast vent hose, just over the tank. I just drilled a second identical-sized hole next to the original vent hole, inside the cup/dam, and made sure the regular plug would fit it as well, then plumbed the fitting and hose there, so I can still do a ballast tank visual inspection or check by removing the stock plug and using a flashlight and or mirror to look around in there, without disturbing the vent hose arrangement."

As was mentioned, the passive ballast vent to the prow, clear vent hose goes up at the very front of the V-berth, only visible for a few inches, then straight up into a u-turn made up of glued angles ( elbows) , so the loop can't collapse, at the very top right under the deck in front of the anchor locker, and then back down to next to the anchor locker drain, where there is a T fitting that joins the anchor drain to the ballast vent.
All turns were done with solid angle ( elbow ) fittings, threaded nipples, and glued joints to make secure whenever possible, and avoid bends in the vent hose that might otherwise collapse. Wherever the clear vent hose is attached to the PVC pipe fittings, use stainless steel hose clamps. It also makes it easier to put the top of the "loop" right up against the deck, without actually having to reach all the way up there, by pre-assembling the two hoses and U-turn fitting.
Even if the anchor locker drain gets plugged completely at the exit hole in the hull, the water will fill the locker and overflow off the deck before it can get up as high as the upside-down P-trap of the ballast vent hose at its highest point under the deck at the very nose of the boat.
At the vent cup over the tank, I drilled a second hole next to the original one, the same size, so it can be plugged if ever needed like the original hole, with a regular plug. In that new hole, a rigid plastic nipple leading into a ball valve, and then a solid right angle fitting,to aim the hose across the top of the flotation under the V-berth. The ball valve and fittings there are also retained by a cross member at the top of the vent cup (the dam), so not to just rely on glue or the fit to keep it in. The ball valve is an added measure, not difficult to install, that allows the closure of the passive vent if extremely rough weather is coming, and if leaving the boat at anchor, or slipped for several days etc.
By leaving the original hole, with the original plug in it, you can still visually check the tank anytime, but for most of the time, the vented tank will take care of itself. However, when first coming back to the boat, after being in the water for awhile, it is easy to check the ballast to ensure it is dry, or filled all the way.
In all I drilled 3 holes in the he boat; the tank next to the original vent inside the dam, in the forward lower bulkhead above the ballast vent but below the liner, and in the liner at the very front of the V-berth, for the ballast vent hose. Except for the few inches at the nose of the V-berth ,the rest of the vent hose is totally not visible in the boat, except by looking into the storage access areas, or up at the nose in the V-berth in front of the anchor locker.
Three years now since the mod, and no problems, no problems anticipated.
If you have guests below, no need to move them around to check and open or close the vent, the several times usually, and it is WAY better if single-handing to not have to leave the helm to deal with the vent.

[Boblee]

I like that idea of being able to empty the ballast with a pump when stranded, excellent.

[K9Kampers]

I like the idea of not being stranded in the first place...but then again, I've met Murphy before!