MacGregorSailors.com

In the northern hemisphere, the water ballast would drain out clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, it would drain out counter-clockwise. So, obviously, that would have something to do with it.
And, also too, I think the color of your hull would have something to do with it.

Hi Jimmy,

When I started today there's wasn't much water in the tank because I'd left the ballast valve wide open when I drove home last week. So today, on flat ground, I put a hose inside the ballast valve and filled the belly until water poured out of the valve. Then I closed the valve and towed it all up the sloped. Stopped on the slope and checked it all over. So the valve (which is brand new by the way) wasn't under full load but it was under a fair load and it then took about 1 minute to empty the tank completely (Well almost).

All the best.
Neo

Got it - thanks!

Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL wrote:In the northern hemisphere, the water ballast would drain out clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, it would drain out counter-clockwise. So, obviously, that would have something to do with it.
And, also too, I think the color of your hull would have something to do with it.

Neo wrote: So my big question is "Where the hull did all the water go"???

It evaporated! Isn't NSW in drought phase right now?!

or

It froze! If conditions were right,...and things are always the other way in the southern hemisphere,...

or

Your wife took it and hid it! Mine is always moving my stuff! "I didn't touch your (xyz), I just put it where you could find it better!"

Neo wrote: So my big question is "Where the hull did all the water go"???

It evaporated! Isn't NSW in drought phase right now?!

or

It froze! If conditions were right,...and things are always the other way in the southern hemisphere,...

or

Your wife took it and hid it! Mine is always moving my stuff! "I didn't touch your (xyz), I just put it where you could find it better!"

Thanks for being the Jester K9

I do find this situation concerning. If water drains out during prolonged sailing and a high wind comes in (most afternoons) things could turn nasty quite quickly. So I do need to get to the bottom of this situation or come up with a "low water level" warning system just to ensure our safety.

Not sure about the 26M configuration, but on a 26X, the breathing hole is right under the companionway step. One can easily see when the water level in the ballast tank is all the way up. A "stopper" there prevents the water from coming into the bilge, no matter how much the boat tilts. I never removed the stopper while sailing, so I don't know whether the water in ballast tank might drain if the intake door is open, but the stopper is in place. I don't think it does--but don't know for sure.

On the it's in the Bow locker ... A bit awkward to get to sometimes and even harder to use as a level monitoring point.
The hole came with lock down bung but mine is vented up to the anchor locker.

I'm considering drilling into the ballast tank (below the aft lockers) to fit a level sensor of some form, but I hate drilling holes in my Mac

Neo wrote: So I do need to get to the bottom of this situation or come up with a "low water level" warning system just to ensure our safety.

Go with the solution that you will have the most confidence in. Adding a system instead of identifying the problem doesn't fix the problem.

boats newer than March has, have the ballast vent under the V-berth. My '01 has never experienced your issue. Catigale's had a compression post failure that was flooding his boat, IIRC.

Perhaps filling your ballast while on the trailer and monitoring for ballast leaks might reveal something.

K9Kampers wrote:Perhaps filling your ballast while on the trailer and monitoring for ballast leaks might reveal something.

Hmmm I guess that's the next step ... although I see that as huge load on the Trailer?

How sure are you that it was full to begin with?

That's the answer that jumps out at me, I think. I've often been sure of something, like positive, only to find out that I was wrong.

Starscream wrote:How sure are you that it was full to begin with?
That's the answer that jumps out at me, I think. I've often been sure of something, like positive, only to find out that I was wrong.

The valve and vent holes were open for an hour and no flow of water into the valve (as indicated by my Valve entry hole ribbon) was seen ... so pretty sure.

Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL wrote:In the northern hemisphere, the water ballast would drain out clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, it would drain out counter-clockwise. So, obviously, that would have something to do with it.
And, also too, I think the color of your hull would have something to do with it.

So you're saying blue hulls drain slower than white hulls??

Neo wrote:

K9Kampers wrote:Perhaps filling your ballast while on the trailer and monitoring for ballast leaks might reveal something.

Hmmm I guess that's the next step ... although I see that as huge load on the Trailer?

Unless your trailer is made of fragilium, adding 1200 lbs should be ok for duration of test.

First verify that there is a problem - the symptoms must be repeatable under the same circumstances. Repeat your steps on the water to confirm loss of ballast, or duplicate them near as possible on land to observe an external leak.

Try pressurizing with air from a shop vac or such to force the water out. Possible leak at or around the transom valve, or the centerboard trunk, or crack in the hull.