Adding Ballast to a 22'

[Francis]

My 22 foot Oday currently has 600 lbs of ballast and I'm looking at adding another 200 lbs. There is a small 3" hole thru the floor at the top of the keel which I could pour some lead shot into. Does adding weight to this area (basically the top of the keel do much for the boat? Is it wise to give up this cavity which I can use for hand pumping out water when I wash out the inside of the boat? thanksFrancis

 

[Bob]

Ballast or Sails?

Hi Francis,Adding 200# of ballast in the bottom of the bilge will not help preformance in heavy air or light. If your trying to get more speed with less heel - look at your sail shape. Older sails get less efficient as the sail streches over time. This changes upwind performance mostly. How critical is sail shape? - boat that race get new sails every couple years. Us cruisers very couple decades. Don't recommend having old sails reconditioned -buy new. Good Luck,Bob

 

[R.W.Landau]

Francis, before you ballast....

How long have you owned the boat?If you have not yet sailed it for a season, don't do a thing.New boats (and new to us boats) are kind of different to get comfortable with.I would sail it for at least one season to first get comfortable with the boat and to feel how the boat wants to respond.Every boat is different and sometime even amoung the same model with-in the same manufacturer.Sails, equipment, motors, batteries, even the people on board can make a slight difference. If you are trying to get rid of tenderness, stop! The hulls are designed to heel. But each has it's nitch. It will heel to a point then stiffen up.What may be the problem is getting comfortable with that initial quick heel until it stiffens. I have yet to own a boat that was not tender until that 10 to 15 degree heel was achieved.I hope some other readers will back me up here with thier comments.r.w.landau

 

[Douglas Marshall]

200 LBS. too much

I have a 1973 o'day 22 that I've owned for about 3 years. It took a while to get used to the initial heel, but after a while you will get used to it and learn to trust it. Give yourself some time. You can always add it later.

 

[ed]

sail shape

I agree with Bob about sails. When I replaced the sails on my 19' Mariner it made a world of difference. Instead of just heeling in a gust, it would dig in & take off. Which isn't to say I didn't get knocked down a few times when I wasn't paying attention.Other things to do to flatten the sail when the wind is up is to install an outhaul at the end of the boom, a downhaul/cunningham on the luff. One final thing is to install jiffy reefing & use it when the wind picks up. If it's properly rigged it's a snap to reef.Finally if you do put in extra ballast I don't think I would loose shot for the reason you mentioned & that it may shift when heeled.Try to get a copy of Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rosmaneau(sp). As I recall ithas good explanations sail control.

 

[Brian]

Say no to lead

I wouldn't add any lead. The sails are the issue here. With fresh sails she will heel less and sail faster. You will actually slow her down by adding the extra ballast where you have mentioned (dead weight and she will still heel). You also must learn her and trust her. O'days like to heel that's where they come alive.My two cents