Adding Temporary Ballast

[delevi]

I'm starting to get the sense that this may not be such a hot idea
Can't drink the rum once it's in the bilges. May tast a bit salty

[Night Sailor]

Inmon has it right. If you want stability add weight in the right places. If you want speed, take it off anywhere you can and still be safe. More weight slows you down no matter where it's placed.

[eric3a]

..

[Frank C]

EXCELLent point, Eric~!

Our resident Speedy-Rigger (Jeff) said, long ago, that his unballasted X-boat was trounced on Folsom Lake, Sacramento, by a fully ballasted Mac-X.

(Folsom Lake was surely just "light-chop" in the summertime)

[Chip Hindes]

Mac against Mac, the lighter boat should always be faster as long as you can keep the boat on it's feet. That means enough movable ballast (i.e., rail meat) hiked out far enough to keep the heel angle around 15 degrees.

[Night Sailor]

Well, Eric has a good point. In a chop, the X and Ms blunt bow section might not arrest the movement of a heavier boat as much, due to increased momentum. However, in other cases in the flat or in larger swells or waves, going over the water with a light boat is faster than through it. With permanent ballast though, you want to satisfy the needs of your most prevalent environment. If it's always a chop, then the weight would be nice. If seldom, then not.

[Vivante]

What do you think about this idea?
I plan to put a removable watertank of 150 l
on rails on the rear bed . So you can move it easly on the side the ballast
is needed. I hope it will add the same stability like
two passengers on the right site. The tank must bee small and long that the ballst gets on the side where it is needed. The tank should be removable if you want to use the rear bed. If you need only one bed, the tank can be moved on the other side and the mattress can be put over the rails. I plan to fill the tank in the harbour and have only one pump to let the water out.

Mario
The White 26x

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Vivante...sounds sorta complicated, but workable. I wonder if 150 l would be all that helpful though ?

Our Mac needs every square inch of interior space for the 2 of us, and one dog. A rail and visible tank ballast would definately "not" be workable on our Mac.

[Night Sailor]

Vivante,
I think the only place I would add interior ballast is along the ballast tubes in the bilges, centered fore and aft at the mid point between mast and chainplates. That's about central over the lowered centerboard and at the widest point of the boat for best effect on heeling while keeping the boat more level fore and aft. There, it should affect the boat's handling and turning character least. Especially pitch and yaw. Unfortunately, a moveable ballast as you describe at that place would be very awkward, and I think be less effective that far aft.

[Vivante]

Hallo night sailor,
one day I had a very strong man with 130 kg as passenger.
And when he was siting on the right side the boat had a much better
stability even in strong winds.
This was the beginning of my idea. I think its important that the ballast
can be trimmed on the right side , like on modern racing boats.
If you put two persons in the cabin there is no increase in stability.
Mario