MacGregorSailors.com

I have a 26 M 2005. It is currently in salt water and the handle for the Water Ballast Valve has corroded and subsequently broke off. It broke just after the soldered bolt/threaded area.

I called Blue Water Yachts and they said i need to replace the water ballast valve. Its a 40 dollar part and suggest boat owners can easily do the repair.

My questions are:

Has anybody done this before, and if so how tough is? Any suggestions/Pointers?

My boat is currently in moorage and i would prefer not to do a haul out/use the trailer. Can this be done from a dinghy or from the dock?

Any other tips/Suggestions are welcome, thanks!

My understanding is that the valve is an RV waste dump valve. Check with a local RV dealer if you are in the US... shouldn't be very expensive... Caravan parts dealer if in Australia. You can do a search (under Forum in the blue bar, pick Advanced Search)...search for Ballast valve
SILK

It's not like the boat is going to sink but it's in the water so that would make it particularly challenging and sealing it would be about impossible.

JIm

I would think that replacing the ballast gate assembly would be quite easy if the ballast is empty and the boat is on its trailer.

I would also think that the job would be nearly impossible if the boat is in the water because the gap between the valve assembly and the hull needs to be caulked/sealed.

I did the repair. Very easy to do. Probably 1/2 hour. Must be done dry though, as the sealant has to adhere and dry.

1. Try searching this site for "Valterra" and you will get some info from past posts.
2. Link here for Valterra gate valves.

Thanks guys for the tips/suggestions!

Getting it hauled out next week--i'll let you know how it goes.