Water ballast well mod, safe or not?

[K9Kampers]

"Are ballast mods safe?"

The OP's question "Is my ballast mod safe?"

I don't think anyone would be able to conclusively evaluate as safe someone else's ballast mod thru a forum post of limited description and 3 pictures. Too many unknowns and who would want to be liable?

As with any mod, the more parts and connections involved introduces the potential for more points of failure.

There is no standard for a Mac ballast mod - everyone could do their own slightly different, and who's to say which is the best?

Perhaps the question should be, what are the potential faults of (xyz) mod? Then the individual can evaluate their own application and their faith in its safety.

[K9Kampers]

Lucid- to address the question of flow of the electric (water) pump in your ballast mod system:

Somewhere on the pump should be a label or something indicating the direction of flow.

If not, then you can run the pump with the hose from one end in a bowl of water to see if it comes out the other side of the pump. If it doesn't, then switch the water source to the hose on the other end of the pump and run the pump again. Results of this test will let us know the intended function your pump to help you understand the function of your ballast mod.

[OverEasy]

Hi BOAT and others!

The sad thing is I have only spent one night on the boat so far and it was flat water . Been mostly day sailing and motoring hope to get out more . But I would think just closing the valve will stop or slow the sounds. I will keep a ear open for that the next nap on the boat.

We have no mod to our ballast tank vent. Basically factory original vent up under the Agee Berth.

We spent 4 months in the estuary waters of Beaufort/Port Royal SC and then 70 nights living aboard on Lake Champlain VT.

We can definitively say that we have not heard ANY sloshing from our ballast tank.

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Sheppie62]

So I’m confused, why are you calling the “Waste Sewage Tank” a Ballast tank? My toilet hooks up directly to that opening! You should see how impressed people are at the launch ramp when I empty it.

[NiceAft]

So I’m confused, why are you calling the “Waste Sewage Tank” a Ballast tank? My toilet hooks up directly to that opening! You should see how impressed people are at the launch ramp when I empty it.

I'm sorry Sheppie, but I can't tell if you're serious or not.

See, that's what those smilies are for

[Sheppie62]

If it’s not a 180 gallon sewage tank why does it have an RV Dump Valve?

[NiceAft]

I guess the answer is you were joking?

I should have just left it alone and said “Oh well!”.

A porta potty connected for a pump out does just fine for us.

[Sheppie62]

Yes I was joking

[Jimmyt]

The mental image of you dumping the "holding tank" on the ramp had me chuckling pretty hard. And, your delivery was spot-on!

[NiceAft]

I guess in my old age I am gullible

The first time I pulled my out and up the ramp (2005), I forgot to open the stern valve. When I did, the ballast emptied, and emptied, and emptied onto the ramp. An old salt (I guess that’s me now) came over and told me straight forward, “That’s too much water for a boat that new to have taken on!”

A true story.

[Jimmyt]

You are smart to be wary (I would not consider you gullible), Ray. You never know what sort of mods a PO may have perpetrated and passed on to an unsuspecting new owner... When Sheppie62 described dumping the tank on the ramp, I knew he was pulling our collective leg. Up until that point, I was only mostly sure (based on his collective posts, he didn't seem like someone who would mistake a ballast tank for a holding tank).

To your "old salt" comment: If he had given it much thought before he spoke, he would have wondered why you needed a 4" drain valve for the bilge in a trailer sailer...

But, I rebranded an Odin/Imexus to a Hunter Edge due to posting before thinking/verifying, so we all have our days.

If you do enough stuff to matter, you are going to make a few mistakes - no matter how good you are... (quote from my Dad - one of the smartest, most capable people I've ever had the pleasure to know).

[Sheppie62]

Sorry NiceAft, i couldn’t pass up that conversation about the ballast tank vent. Just trying to liven up the place.

[NiceAft]

Sorry NiceAft, i couldn’t pass up that conversation about the ballast tank vent. Just trying to liven up the place.

Absolutely nothing to be sorry about. My dunceness is not your fault.

[OverEasy]

“He who does not have the capacity to laugh at himself is missing the best comedy”

[Tomfoolery]

The mental image of you dumping the "holding tank" on the ramp had me chuckling pretty hard.

I've always been tempted to joke about the 'holding tank' when emptying my ballast, but the DEP police around here actually carry guns and have no sense of humor at all. I don't need that kind of trouble.