Gate valve

[Ixneigh]

What was the most successful water ballast gate valve mod? I'm tired of mine releasing water when sailing hard.
I want that thing shut tighter then an oyster at low tide.
Ix

[reastmure]

Gate valve leaking??!! I haven't noticed that before but I do worry about it. I check the water level on a regular basis but so far have never seen any noticeable drop.

[sailboatmike]

I lose ballast too, I have the quick fill mod on my ballast tank (PVC pipe from the top of the tank to well above the water line), too this I have added a ball valve after figuring that water can only leak out if air can get in to displace it, this has somewhat fixed the issue but Im still losing a bit of water, the next step is the gate valve, because the top of it sits above the waterline at times it can draw in air, so it may be the seal on gate vale surround letting in air if and when the gate valve leaks a bit.

Given the PO had done half assed mods at best I also need to see if the old water ballast inlet under the boat has been sealed properly, maybe a some Silaflex aroundthere will help too.

Once sorted I will put a cover over the old inlet to reduce the turbulence it causes under the boat

[yukonbob]

Have you tested this leaking on the trailer with a full tank? I found after filling on flat water then sailing around for a few days, air pockets trapped in the tank would account for some minimal drop and a quick top up would remedy it, sometimes it would take a couple fills to purge all the air.

[sailboatmike]

Having someone on the bow while filling may help get the air out, we tend to be a bit back heavy so air will go to the front of the tank, maybe thats why they changed the breather position up forward on the later models

[Tomfoolery]

Having someone on the bow while filling may help get the air out, we tend to be a bit back heavy so air will go to the front of the tank, maybe thats why they changed the breather position up forward on the later models

Good point. My bow rises more than the stern with no ballast. Both ends sink a bit as the ballast fills, of course, but the the bow is noticably higher when empty, as witnessed by the slime line.

[paul I]

I lose ballast too, I have the quick fill mod on my ballast tank (PVC pipe from the top of the tank to well above the water line), too this I have added a ball valve after figuring that water can only leak out if air can get in to displace it, this has somewhat fixed the issue but Im still losing a bit of water, the next step is the gate valve, because the top of it sits above the waterline at times it can draw in air, so it may be the seal on gate vale surround letting in air if and when the gate valve leaks a bit.

Given the PO had done half assed mods at best I also need to see if the old water ballast inlet under the boat has been sealed properly, maybe a some Silaflex aroundthere will help too.

Once sorted I will put a cover over the old inlet to reduce the turbulence it causes under the boat

I'll have to look this season, but I don't think my valve is ever out of the water when the boat is flat. And I don't ever recall thinking I was loosing ballast either.

[Ixneigh]

Boat loses water after hard sailing. Done it since I've had it. I grease the gate valve each season. I have a brass hose type spigot value on the air vent. That helped a bit.
One idea to replace the gate valve is a short length of tubing that hose clamps onto a flange on the transom opening and then just gets looped up and tied. Probably to the base of the mast support arch. Untie it and let it flop into the water to drain. Heavy duty corrugated hose would work well. Not the most attractive option but easy to work.
Ix