97 x drain valve question

[Kevgrn114]

I'm looking at a 97 for sale locally to me. I notice that on the 97 models the fill valve and vent plug are still under the hatch step. Is the fill valve required to fill the ballast or will the transom valve allow for filling as well?

This boat has bottom paint on it and I'm wondering if it will affect the opening and closing of the underside fill valve.

Ideally I'd like to remove the bottom paint and get it back to true trailer sailer status..

[dlandersson]

Check the stern for the drain plug (lower right hand side). On my 97X, the vent plug is on the step, and the legacy hole (with a plug) is there also, but the drain/fill plug is at the right side of the stern.

[Kevgrn114]

OK, i'll check there. I haven't gone to see it in person yet and the pics don't show the stern. So, the legacy hole you speak of, do you ever use it for anything?

[Tomfoolery]

I haven't heard about that before, or I wasn't paying attention when it was discussed. There's a hole in the hull under the step for filling the ballast tank?

My '99 only has the stern RV blackwater tank style gate valve, and the vent in the vee berth. The step area is flat, with just the hardware for mounting the step. I keep the registration card in there, in a water tight box - that's about all it's good for, but definitely no holes.

[Russ]

The ballast is filled via the submerged fill valve just below the waterline on the transom. Probably has a handle to pull up to open. The vent simply allows air to escape/enter while the water is moving through the fill valve. It is NOT how you fill the ballast. Filling ballast is simply floating the boat and opening the valve to allow water in. Draining can be done by opening the valve & vent and getting the boat up to speed allowing water to drain out. Or, wait until it's on the trailer/ramp and open it then.

Removing bottom paint will get you so far. Hopefully the previous owner had the bottom sanded so the paint will stick. Removing the paint will get you back to that point, but never back to shiny smooth gelcoat. I guess you could paint the bottom with a clear expoxy sealcoat. I'd leave the bottom paint unless you have a real reason to remove it.

[Kevgrn114]

The original design in 95 had an extra valve next to the vent hole to fill the tank as well as the transom valve..I'm not sure which year they did away with it. Mainly I just wanted to make sure that the early models 95-? that had this valse could still be filled and drained underway using just the transom valve. Sounds like it can... Thanks for the replies.

I've always heard that bottom paint will get brittle and flake if left out of the water. This would be the main reason I would want to remove it, the second is purely aesthetic.

[Russ]

I've always heard that bottom paint will get brittle and flake if left out of the water. This would be the main reason I would want to remove it, the second is purely aesthetic.

Brittle? Maybe if it wasn't applied correctly. There are many types of bottom paint. Trailerable boats have different needs. We don't want to rub the paint off every time we launch. I wouldn't worry about that.

I do like my white unpainted bottom. I'm ready to give it up for a clean bottom.

[dlandersson]

No, it's just a hole (from the mold) with a plug in it - the drain/fill system has been moved to the right rear.

OK, i'll check there. I haven't gone to see it in person yet and the pics don't show the stern. So, the legacy hole you speak of, do you ever use it for anything?

[tvanbeck]

My 96 has ballast fill under the step. The fill would leak even after I replaced the rubber seal, so I used 5200 and closed it permanently. Now I use the transom valve to fill the ballast with no issues. So yes the transom valve will allow for filling.

[John Brosda]

I've got a 96 and it does have a second ballast fill valve in the hull and is opened and closed from the step. I found early on that it leaked as someone has already indicated, it was caused by the stainless plate, that seals to the hull, being bent, I straightened it, closed it and never used it again. I only fill and drain the ballast now with the transom valve.

[DaveB]

On your 97 Mac.X you need to take off the air plug under step to allow water to fill ballast tank. The air plug lets out the air as the tank is being filled, if plug is in there is no place for air to excape and ballast will not fill fully with water. Do reverse whe empty the water.
Dave

I'm looking at a 97 for sale locally to me. I notice that on the 97 models the fill valve and vent plug are still under the hatch step. Is the fill valve required to fill the ballast or will the transom valve allow for filling as well?

This boat has bottom paint on it and I'm wondering if it will affect the opening and closing of the underside fill valve.

Ideally I'd like to remove the bottom paint and get it back to true trailer sailer status..

[restless]

we have the under step 2 valve set up. The 'screw' valve is leaky... we found that out after beaching for a night then setting off in the am with half ballast...
I added a second valve frd under the v to purge bubbles. it works very well. to fill and drain we work with all valves. You need to know your boat layout. (we have the pokey wee port transom hole tho as we're on the water for 1 - 6 weeks at a go, once filled there is little problem. we also have at least 500kg gear onboard so the whole planning at 20kts is just out of the ?) the center valve is also good for rapid draining when hauling out. work/improve with what you've got

[Steve K]

Kevgrn,

I had a '97 X and stripped the bottom paint, as you mention you would like to do. I've done this to several boats, in fact.
Thought I give you these links for some pics of the process. (just food for thought/ideas)

https://www.box.com/s/24e664a9c5574914851c

https://www.box.com/s/1570f72f9af4c1a1fbbb

Also, I don't think stripping will have any effect on the operation of the ballast valve.

When I stripped the bottom paint on the X boat, I also removed the hull valve (the one under the step). I then fiberglassed in the recess in the hull that it was in. I thought this valve was silly, in it's operation and it always leaked when I wanted to keep the tank empty (for power planing). I added another stern valve on the port side.
This can only be done on certain models as the tank design changed in late 97 or early 98. The ballast tank went all the way to the stern on my boat and prior models. On later models the tank stopped short of the stern by about a foot and there was a small tunnel from the tank to the stern valve. This was done on the later boats to compensate for the extra stern weight of heavier 4 stroke outboards (so I was told by Bill, at MacGregor)

Funny, now I have a D boat and the only valve on it is the "silly" one. It's not as important, where leaking goes though 'cause there would never be a reason to want to keep the tank dry (not for me anyway). The stern on the D is, pretty much, out of the water all the time, so a stern valve wouldn't work either.

Anyway, hope this info and pics help with some ideas.

Best Breezes,
Steve K
Mac 26D "Three Sheets"

[Kevgrn114]

Steve K,

Nice work!! What method did you use to strip the paint? It sure looks shiny under there!

[Steve K]

Kevgrn,

Kleanstrip for fiberglass followed by a lot of wet sanding (to @2000 grit) and polishing on the X boat. It looked better than new, when done and I ended up re-polishing the rest of the boat too. It looked ready for the boat show, when I got done with it.
It only had a coat of no-sand epoxy primer and a couple coats of bottom paint, no blisters either. It was the easiest one I've done.

The Catalina 22 (shown completely up-side-down in one pic) needed blister repair, so...........
Also Kleanstrip then #80 grit on a DA air sander then refinished with gelcoat.

The D boat also needs refinishing, however for this season I just stripped the bottom paint, sanded with @220, using the DA, then wet sanded to #600. Hopefully I'll refinish it before next spring. I'll re-gelcoat this one also.

Best Breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26 D "Three Sheets"