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Lets see we fill our boats with source water and carry gallons of fresh water to wash up cook what ever. Where my boat is I have a water hose 30 feet from it. Now if I was to fill the ballest with fresh water, After flushing it of course, then say go over to Catalina why not pump that stuff out for my use as I sit on a mooring? Theres over a hundred gallons of water there. Now the boat will be exstremly heavy on the trailer, but in my case that will be for 200 feet. a water pump hose stuck down in the vent hole should do fine. even a rigid 1/2 pipe will fit in there. Any one try this yet?

Haven't tried it, can't say I even thought about doing it. What would you do with a boat with only partial ballist. I don't think you would want to sail it and I'm quite sure you wouldn't want to try motoring.
Partial ballist in one of these boats can be pretty dangerous....
Dik...

naw were taklking about sitting and useing it. If we sail or motor away of course we have to refill the ballast with source water.

if you insist on doing this...
fill the ballast at the guest dock in the harbor after you've launched.
but remember, now you can't motor very fast across the bay because of your extra water weight

The biggest problem to avoid is motoring (or worse yet sailing) with a partially full tank.

If your suggesting:
filing the tank
going someplace (with full tank),
sitting there as you sip ballast water, and
filling (or emptying) the tank before you leave

Then, you don't have a partially full ballast tank problem...

But, I'm not sure I'd want to drink from that tank...

I guess you could dump a bunch of sanitizer in there, and flush it out real good. But, it would take a lot of work (multiple flushes and lots of sanitizing agent), before I'd be comfortable...

We rarely if ever motor with out ballast and I have pulled the boat out a ton of times with the ballast full to drain on the ramp. but its a thought. The common sence things like partly filled ballast and such are a givin here. I have been on the boat without ballast for a time and contrary to some belief it doesnt tip over when you climb aboard.

If you're just gonna sit and use it, that should work. I'd run some bleach or something through it first...
Dik...

yep wouldnt drink the stuff for sure but could take long hot showers till the we hours of the morning with that stuff. You bet one cup bleach to one hundred gallons of water should do her

i'd use it for rinsing and wash-down.
you can always get drinking water from shore.

Yes! If only you could cut a section out of the cabin sole, then stuff a very flexible plastismo container in the cavity. then fiberglass around the intake valve. Now all you have to do is open the rear ballast valve every time you use a little fresh water. The only problem I see is re-fibreglassing the hole you'd have to make.. adequately, and beyond specs. If it were done you could haul more than 50 gallons around with no loss of stability...You Think?

Richard awsome, but way to much work for me, and not any good with fiberglass let alone trust my aim with a saw in this area.

AYA16- Well, as things go on this typing TV, subjects or mere thoughts can become confused....or is it just me?

Anyway, my question to you is, just why wouldn't you want to NOT motor without ballast? Knowing the boats capabilities as we all should, this is something I do all the time. When it's time to raise the rags, in goes the ballast, or when the waves get treacherous, I open the valve, otherwise my ballast is empty! I can't see dragging all that weight needlessly around.

As far as those long showers, again, I sway on the side of safety here, and would not have a ballast that is partially filled for a long time, and because I have seen nasty waves all around Catalina, even in Avalon, wisdom alone tells me I'd rather not do that either...JMHO!

On the other hand, a durable bladder with 30-50 gallons is a thought, and as it is used, and the valve opened after removal of any substantial amount of fresh water removed, is then dispaced, has been a thought of mine for quite awile!

If someone has the rescources to manufacture such a vessel (bladder) and can maufacture and provide instructions for use and installation, it might be a worthwhile endeavor to an enterprising individual! Again, JMHO. Macs have been water ballasted for over 10,000+ boats so far....hmmmm, might be a market there, for sure!


My thoughts anyway!

I think its just you........Lighthearted discussion as to to heavy breathing is preferable sometimes.

Why I DONT MOTOR WITH OUT THE BALLAST? Its a matter of no calm bay close by to do it. open ocean is all I got here. and Im in no hurry for the most part. Not safety as much as comfort.
But wouldnt worry about a half-filled tank if I was sitting in the appropriate water.

AYA16,

I looked at a used 26X that the owner had rigged up to use the ballast water as you want to.. so it can be done...but I wouldn't do it. If my ballast isn't filled to the top and burped, the gurgling is annoying at anchor and I would think a partially filled ballast at anchor could make a fair amount of noise. I would also think that the water shifting at anchor could exaggerate boat movement - try it on your next outing. This is armchair speculation on my part.

Greg

I like that Greg your right it might make a hull of a racket. and rock more. Ill try it see what happens and report back some time. Its just a pump and a hose right.