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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Tue May 13 2008 - 10:41:48 EDT
Two ballast questions. One answer. Since we're talking about trawler style,
semi displacement hulls, we aren't overly concerned about weight. Well, at
least not as much as we would with a planing hull. Assuming that you have
waterline depth available you could just add to the stern as much as you want to
even things out. Or if waterline depth is a problem, (thru hulls too close to
the waterline, waterline is low already, etc) then you might want to relocate
some heavy items to a different spot. I.E. That 60 pound toolbox in the bow
might be moved to the stern, a 120 pound difference in trim.
Now how do you know how much ballast you need? Rent some self propelled
portable ballast. It only costs a bottle of wine at the local marina. Have your
friends move to different parts of the boat and watch how the boat reacts. Be
especially sensitive about how you estimate their weight..... ;-)
Where to put the ballast? In the lowest part of the boat is generally best.
Keep the center of gravity low to maintain boat stability. Virtually anything
can be used. Sand bags, lead pigs, water, or anything else. Some people are
able to move their batteries from the front of the engine to the rear and get
good results. Lead pigs are expensive, but compact and easy to move later.
Sand is cheaper, but more difficult to store where it won't get wet or loose
in the bilge. Plastic 5 gallon square pails filled with sand work pretty well.
Water can be difficult to store but think about gallon jugs, 5 gallon
pails, flexible bladders, or small poly tanks. Depending on your specific boat you
might need to be creative with any of these. Make absolutely sure that
whatever you use cannot shift when underway. A 5 gallon pail against your rudder
arm will make you pucker pretty quickly.
The same things will hold true for minor problems with list. Moving items
from side to side will help balance you out. Or, an extra pail or two on one
side will take out the list you see at the dock.
Another small point, make sure you are in your normal cruising mode when you
do this. If you bring 150 pounds of "stuff" to store in the bow on vacation
have it there when you balance the boat. If you normally cruise with full
water tanks, fuel tanks, etc. have them full when you balance.
As always, do things safely. If it takes a lot of ballast to even things out
look for other causes. Saturated laminate, major remodeling by a previous
owner, etc may make the boat unstable and unsafe. If in doubt, consult an
expert.
Ken Buck
A Couple of Bucks
40 Puget Trawler
Puyallup, WA
Our boat, Aqua Vitae, is a 43' Albin Classic trunk style trawler. One of
the things that we've always loved about her is the flare of her bow,
and the way she takes head seas (she parts them, like Moses!) But at
anchor or at the dock she has a tendency to be bow down on her lines.
Tell me about ballast. . . how do we know "how much?" What kind do we
use to make it easy but stable? Where do we put it (exactly, if anyone
knows.) We don't want heavy stuff rolling around anywhere, but it would
be nice to see a level waterline.
Any advice on ballast would be welcome.
Thanks,
Peggy Bjarno
Aqua Vitae
1986 Albin 43' Classic
Baltimore, MD
------------------------------
Message: 36
Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 19:58:29 -0700
From: "Rich Werner" <>
Subject: Re: T&T: Ballast
To: "'Peggy Carr'" <>, "'Trawlers and
Trawlering'" <>
Message-ID: <00e101c8b4a5$399552b0$acbff810$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Similar question for a GB32. We have 180 ft of 3/8" chain plus windlass etc
and the bow seems low. The chain weight is about 280 pounds. Would an
equal amount of weight at the back of the boat in the lazarette provide a
balance. We do have a problem with water draining out of the cockpit.
Rich
______________________________
Rich & Laura Werner
GB32-277
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