Power Without Ballast

[Dawgfish]

I have been wondering the same thing! by any chance does your motor alarm out while @ WOT and fully ballasted???
I recently purchased a 12v water pump to empty my ballast while sitting still on the water, so as not to take any chances with a partial ballast while moving....(huge yachts seem to appear outta nowhere around here @ WOT )
I got the pump to test the alarm issue before i really tear into my motor ....

[Tom Root]

Steve is right on the money! And yes I have sailed many times unballasted, never felt unsafe, and only when Solo. The most it's good for is 15 knots or so steady wind, and she clips along quite well. Do not try this on YOUR craft unless you have many, many miles at the helm, and at your own risk! It's in the manual that it's doable, and I can attest to doing it, many times too! BTW, I have owned the boat for 9 years next month, and have been sailing Macs since the '80's!

[Mac26Mpaul]

Hi Tom,

You have been sailing these things a lot longer than me, so, with all due respect, is it really safe to be sailing one of these boats without the ballast?

They only have a coupla hundred pounds or so of ballast I beleive, which in a boat this size, is nothing. WIthout the water ballast, you are basically sailing a huge version of a little unballasted sailing dinghy. All it would take, is a bit of a gust and surely, it would go over.

Anyway, you are doing it, so its obviously doable, I just hope you dont cleat off any sheets, like I don't with my dinghy!

[Tom Root]

Yes, I do Paul! I sail it like it's a dinghy of course, never felt unsafe. Others can say what they want, I do what I want as well. I doubt you'll ever read of an incident with me and my boat! (Now I say that you might!!!) But all said and done, one must know their boat and it's true capabilities before attempting. How many people back up their boat under sail here....not many I'd say. Learn to sail a dinghy first, knock it over, and do it again!

Not that I'd like to try it, but if she ever did go over, I wouldn't panic, of course I White Water Raft on Class IV rivers too, so swamping isn't the end. Again, I do it Solo. I alone am responsible in the event of a knockover, or worse, a turtle.

I respect those who do not need ANY motor to go out on the water, and practice that as much as possible, because I have crapped a motor, and know that Only that sail will get me home........just fine!

I will admit I did use a tow service when there wasn't any wind too!

[Mac26Mpaul]

well if you are confident in yours and the boats abilities, why not.

I'd like to see some videos of people who sail these things without the ballast, just to see how they (the boats and the sailers) react to gusts etc.

[Divecoz]

But remember folks........ Tom, and Those Mad Men of Ontario have a much better handle on these boats than many of us and Better than me for sure..

Steve is right on the money! And yes I have sailed many times unballasted, never felt unsafe, and only when Solo. The most it's good for is 15 knots or so steady wind, and she clips along quite well. Do not try this on YOUR craft unless you have many, many miles at the helm, and at your own risk! It's in the manual that it's doable, and I can attest to doing it, many times too! BTW, I have owned the boat for 9 years next month, and have been sailing Macs since the '80's!

[mastreb]

Factory recommendation is for no more than four adults, all in the cockpit, and no more than 600 lbs. total for powering without ballast.

[Ixneigh]

Yeaaaa but
The manual doesn't stress that the conditions when comming off plane might be much different then when you got on plane. A big powerboat will toss an unballasted Mac right over. it will throw stuff and people off the boat. Even when fully ballasted you have to be careful to hit the wake from those big boys correctly. The only time i run with no ballast is when I am absolutely positive I won't encounter any waves or any wakes from large boats. Backcountry shallow water places.
Note my M has even 340 pounds of extra lead plus a substantial amount of gear on board.

[Phil M]

My cruising rpms are generally 2500 to get good gas mileage and reasonable speed, always with a full ballast. On a long day of motoring, how much would Be saved by emptying the ballast? Any guesses?

[DaveB]

At 2500 rpms on the Honda 50 , it doesn't make much of a diffrence. On a 4 hr cruise I would say you would use 1/2 gal or less more fuel with ballest in than without ballast and speed is almost the same with the empty ballast maybe 1/8-1/4 knot faster.
Just doesn't make since running at 2500 rpms with empty ballast.
I just changed out my prop. to a 4 blade solas and propella sings between 2100-2800 rpms so I now cruise at 3000 rpms @ 7.2 mph (6.1 Knots).
My old 4 blade Solas Alcup rpms went to 4800 rpms max. , since I cruise at 6 knots @ 2600 rpms,that was fine and had no singing at prop. Top speed was 12.5 knots.
With new blade I get 5500 rpms. and tops out at 14 knots.
I have a heavy boat with frig.,3 batteries, 3 anchors with rode and chain etc.
So the results of fuel econommy is with a heavy boat. Both props. I get around 7-8 NMPG @ 6 Knots with full Ballast. (depending on sea conditions less than 2 ft. waves)
Dave

My cruising rpms are generally 2500 to get good gas mileage and reasonable speed, always with a full ballast. On a long day of motoring, how much would Be saved by emptying the ballast? Any guesses?

[Boblee]

Wouldn't be too worried about powering without ballast provided you don't have more than 2 people on deck but be very careful in rough water and definitely be very careful the first time at least you do a tight turn at speed, haven't tried and don't intend to try sailing without ballast, don't have any foils down under full power ballast in or out, the boat has good steerage once over hull speed but then mine usually has a dinghy behind which probably helps but that can also be embarrasing if you pull up too quick.

[The-strikes]

I never ballast under power unless it's really rough or I've got over 4 adults. I wasn't aware the Mac could do a tight turn . If it did maybe I could flip my kids out of the tube instead of pulling them until I run out of gas.

[Mac26Mpaul]

I firmly believe Rogers warning of 4 in the cockpit or whatever it is, without ballast, is purely because in the US people sue each other for farting.

We don't power with ballast in, and we do tight turns (as far as you can on this boat with a 50hp motor) and have been in seas of a coupla metres like this. We climb all over the boat under power with no ballast in. We have never felt unsafe and the boat is not going to tip over from the bow waves of giant gin palaces any more than any other 26 foot trailer power boat. I live on the Gold Coast and if it was, mine would have long ago . My boat is classed as a 26 foot trailerable powerboat here and has the Australian sticker which rates it for no more than 8 people (no ballast).

The boat is designed to run as a power boat without the ballast, and honestly, if where your going is under a coupla metres, and you have say, 6 adults or less on your boat, there is just nothing to worry about

[Kevgrn114]

people do sue each other for farting! It's crazy! Liability is strangling the adventure out of life..

[kmclemore]

people do sue each other for farting! It's crazy! Liability is strangling the adventure out of life..

Passing wind is an adventure for you, Kevgrn?

You really gotta get out more.