100+ Gallons of Water Storage

[Boblee]

Iquisitor
This link shows a couple of ports but they also have a 315 mm deck plate if you do a search.
http://www.biasboating.com.au/c-53-insp ... ports.aspx
The pressure is very little when the ballast valve is closed but when filling you will have some air pressure but it is only a few psi like you blowing something with your breath through a hole.
The sealing won't be a problem as you have a thread forcing the neoprene seal tight either way.
As for the water hammer? these ports should handle it better than the existing plug if not adjusted correctly but we have forgotten to put the plug in and except for some spray (as you said) when accelerating or stopping there has not been a problem as the bowl rarely has more than an inch of water in it.
I have left the ballast inlet valve open while accelerating or stopping to try and get all the air out but never looked like overflowing the bowl although I daresay if I really tried I could.

[albion]

As my great old Dad once taught me, "A pint's a pound, the world around"...

So... 144 gallons x 8 pints = 1152... which is a good rough estimate of the actual weight.

More accurately though, I believe that 1150 pounds of water should be 137.8 gallons. (I think 1 gallon of water weighs about 8.345 lbs., and one pound of water is about 0.12 gallons).

Kevin, when your dad told you that it was a long time ago. Last time I was in UK a pint was 2 pound 40 pence. UK TAXES

[Phillip]

I reckon the easy-iest solution is trade the old-sheila in.
Cheers
Phillip

[Kelly Hanson East]

Chip H once reported here he went sailing and left the plug out - he spent 45 minutes bailing water out afterwards, so you can take a lot of water on through the plug.

[Inquisitor]

I reckon the easy-iest solution is trade the old-sheila in.
Cheers
Phillip

Woa! Lucky, you're on another continent. "trade" wouldn't faze her, but "old-sheila" could get you killed by a 95 lb red-head!

[vertex2100]

Even though it would be a major project using the ballast tank for routine water storage, it would be very easy to use it for emergency water storage to refill the regular water tanks. This would be useful when venturing to places like the Dry Tortugas in case you get stuck there during a storm. I was thinking the easiest , cheapest way to access all the water in the ballast tank would be to make an adapter to place in the outside drain hole. An undersized pipe with duct tape wrapped in a wedge shape would make a large stopper to put in and then stopped down to fit the hose on a hand bilge pump would allow you to quickly refill all the empty water tanks aboard. Would probably need filtered esp. through charcoal to remove organics from resin to drink though. Bob

[TAW02]

Bob(vertex); Welcome to the club

Do you live in Florida. Reason I ask is when reading one of your posts on the Aluminum trailer you mentioned having to limp the trailer back to South Florida?

I live in Central Florida and work out of state for a few months out of the year. Retiring soon, or sooner depending on business sediments, et al.

The idea of using the boats ballast for drinking water storage would only be good as you've stated on long voyages in case you needed the water. A seperate fill would need to be installed and water added once the boat has been unloaded from the trailer

The ballast tank would have to be completely filled (as described by the MAC handbook), as the boat becomes seriously unstable with a partially filled ballast tank.

In the advent that fresh water was needed, there would have to be a procedure. And that would have to be to refill all empty fresh water containers, then reflood the ballast tanks for safety sake. I know this wouid contaminate the ballast tank, but if reserves were calculated beforehand, this could sustain the sailplan to extend twice as long.

Big T

[vertex2100]

Big T, I'm from Jax where my boat is kept in my brother's yard. I'm a dentist running group practice in Saudi Arabia working on US military, embassy and others western workers. I had sailboats for 30 years but wanted the largest boat to keep on a trailer to store and use on vacations. Hated the saltwater deterioration from keeping at marinas and expense. I know you would only be able to refill your water supply once unless you sit at anchor then refill with salt water before leaving anchor. I would think a funnel and garden hose should let you fill through air vent hole making no mod needed.Like simple since little time with boat. I was thinking about this because son and I want to go to Dry Tortugas someday and read about being prepared to stay much longer because of storms.Don't know if wife and daughter are up to it. Don't want to spend all my vacations doing mods like last year spent first 5 days installing all accesories I bought mail order while in SAudi. Really enjoyed the keys except for trailer failure. Do St. john's each vacation , visit Blue Springs and stay in Sanford marina, rent car then go to attractions.Bob

[vertex2100]

Big T, I'm from Jax where my boat is kept in my brother's yard. I'm a dentist running a group practice in Saudi Arabia working on US military, embassy and others western workers. I had sailboats for 30 years but wanted the largest boat to keep on a trailer to store and use on vacations. Hated the saltwater deterioration from keeping at marinas and expense. I know you would only be able to refill your water supply once unless you sit at anchor then refill with salt water before leaving anchor. I would think a funnel and garden hose should let you fill through air vent hole making no mod needed.Like simple since little time with boat. I was thinking about this because son and I want to go to Dry Tortugas someday and read about being prepared to stay much longer because of storms.Don't know if wife and daughter are up to it. Don't want to spend all my vacations doing mods like last year spent first 5 days installing all accesories I bought mail order while in SAudi. Really enjoyed the Keys and Mac 26M except for trailer failure. Do St. john's river each vacation , visit Blue Springs and stay in Sanford marina, rent car then go to attractions.Bob

[TAW02]

Big T, I'm from Jax where my boat is kept in my brother's yard. I'm a dentist running a group practice in Saudi Arabia working on US military, embassy and others western workers.

Bob, hat's off to you for your service to our great nation. Keep up the good work.

The reason I mentioned the separate tank fill point is because filling the tank at the vent hole can get frustrating. That's a lot of water you have to get in there!

Not only that, filling through a vent causes pressure in the tank to build which would make filling the tank all that much more time consuming. When you are on vacation, you don't want that!

My wife and I are talking about making that Tortuga run ourselves! Visit the Conch Cruiser site (if you haven't already) for some mighty fine photos and videos of that trip.

Big T

[vertex2100]

Thanks Big T, I'm no where near my boat now but if you have a funnel with ridges on the bottom that would let the air out as the water goes in although the fill hole is small and would take a very long time. Got my idea of Dry Tortugas from Conch Cruisers website. Would be fun to go with a group but don't know when I will be able to take another vacation with recession (losing money on self storage business in Jax right now). Really miss the water living here in middle of the desert. Lived on Cheasapeake Bay for 10 years. Nice boating area too.Bob

[Russ]

Interesting old thread.

The inside of the ballast tank must be a nasty place with both raw glass and fibers plus any junk that grows in the corners.

If it were possible to install a bladder tank inside the ballast it could be a great place for water storage. As fresh water is consumed, raw water could be piped in to fill the void. The trick is how do you install that. Perhaps while the boat was being built.


--Russ