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Has anyone else sanded or slurried their ballast to add 800 lbs of ballast to their weght? Probably got 450 lbs in without trying, If I had lowered the nose.... probably could have filled it completely.

Its really not that hard to wash back out, I found the car power washer worked quite well for cleanout..... (takes about 45 mintues)


"NOTE: don't do this in the driveway" Pit run sand worked best, but it is a slow fill........." and you do have to jack the tongue up to get the last of it out.

How does it handle with that much weight?

You're joking right?

What would keep it from sloshing to the low side when you healed (like a partially filled water ballast).

With the Feds possibly going after rec. boats with ballast tanks this fall, It is something to do some R & D on. It may affect my purchase decision down the road also.

I am sure if I trailered with it, I would add additional bunk support and axle,

However, I was suprised at the difference in heel angles...

havent tried it reefed yet.

Tacking is signficantly easier.

full it would not slosh significantly, the trick is to not introduce any clay, or gravel (sticky and noisy), washed pit run sand was the ticket for getting it in and out.

Just FYI
Wet sand (and it will get wet) weighs 90% more than water. You probably added about 1,000 lbs more ballast. (1,350 if you maxed capacity)
Of course forget getting up on plane as it would be difficult to empty ballast underway. As for shifting sand, as long as the ballast was 3/4 full of sand and then water filled, there wouldn't be too much sloshing and you would always have some counterbalance in the ballast tank.
The question now is how can you empty and retrieve while afloat?

RussMT wrote:You're joking right?

Admiral Waterwaves does not joke - - -unless he is joking

Rick

I had actually been thinking about this for the Hawaii trip, but was too chicken to try. Keep me posted, my Rocket two axle trailer would have little problem with the extra weight and with 2 x 6 hp. power, I don't plane anyway. Might just take another look.

MM

I did not fill it entirely with sand, just enough to prove principal, a little less than 500 lbs.

as long as water was going in through the top of the vent, silt was going out. I used a small washdown pump to maintain flow to rinse out, and then a car washer nozzle. Underway I would use the washdown pump and force water/silt out of the drain valve underway.

It was more of an interesting experiment.

it may be necessary to add some foam to provide additional intrinsic bouyancy if one continued to operate this way.

I might fill the centerboard with sand tho........

Too keep that sand from sloshing around while heel`d or in rough waves follow this recepie.. 800 lbs fixed ballast

3 parts sand. 600 lbs
1 part fresh water
1 part portland cement 200lbs

Mix sand and cement together dry and place in ballast tank. Add water and motor through big waves making numerous turns and circles for about 30 minutes. Return to dock. Let boat sit for 24 hours before Sailing.

Contact Kelly Hanson East for Up-graded trailor. (Big Sale)

Rick

but was too chicken to try.

Not something you see in a MadMike post too often....