any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling pro

[mkrupa]

I put my boat back in the water this year and found that it heels badly on port tack. ie it seems to sail normally on starboard and very sensitive (unstable) on port. I thought maybe the keel was not down but after realizing it was only on port tack I thought about balance issues. the only thing I can think of is I left the boat in the water a couple of winters and did not use it due to work. I took it out completely last year and left it in dry dock. this year it is unstable. if the ballast tank froze and cracked and the water is not retained in the tank could I have a new ballast next to the tank only on the starboard side of the boat? this weight addition would explain the behavior. if that is the case is there fix?

 

[Hugh Straub]

I don't believe there's separate port and starboard ballast tanks.

I assume you filled the tank when you put the boat back in the water and then closed the tank valve tight and put the plug in the tank vent so that the ballast water can't drain out of the ballast tank on starboard tack.

And, I assume you looked under all of the bunks, settees and after bilge access covers to find a dry bilge. If so, does your boat list to port without the sails up? If its always listing to port then there's some weight some where aboard making it do so...Is the mast perfectly perpendicular to the deck? Where is your motor and gas tank located? Is one of the cockpit lockers full of rain water?

If all of these are not the cause, and because its summer, anchor the boat in a pleasant spot and go over the side with a face mask on while a friend raises and lowers the centerboard so you can confirm its proper operation. I'm pretty sure with a methodical search you'll find the culprit.

Good luck &

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[Hugh Straub]

Oops. I see on re-reading, I see you're tender on the port tack which suggests a starboard list. My boat lists a few degrees to starboard too. The reason: battery, gas tank and motor all are on the starboard side. Its not noticeable when sailing. I try to offset with drinking water, tools and other heavy stuff kept to port but its not a problem. If your concern is more than a couple of degrees difference, I suggest the methodical search mentioned above.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[kenkindy1]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

Use a Loos Tension Gauge to check that your shrouds on both sides are tensioned equally. My guess is one side is looser than the other.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

As the guru on the 240, follow Hugh straub's advice and report back to us as you now need to do some investigation yourself with the boat and then advise back to us for anyone can help. As for the mast, you can check the top of the mast being centered by simply using the main halyard alone or with a tape measuring side to side. Until then, follow Hugh's advice which is the same I would give. Loos tension guide advice to be used in tuning of the boat. Never used one of the loos guage as I tuned my customers boats by feel which I was taught by old timers over the years which worked well for me.

dave condon

 

[mkrupa]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

thanks for the reply's, I have been out of town and will investigate further today. I suppose I was unclear on the problem.

the boat heels on port uncontrollably and extremely fast. I have been sailing this boat since 2004. something is terribly wrong, and it is not the motor and battery. the boat is un-sailable in the current condition. I will let you know what I find.

 

[Hugh Straub]

Still thinking about your problem.

If the vent plug isn't tight and the bottom ballast valve isn't tight either, then when you heel, water can drain from the ballast tank. If the tank isn't pressed up completely full, that is if the water can slosh around in the tank, you will have "free surface" effect which dramatically reduces your boat's stability and could result in a sudden and scary heeling event. (Free surface is why swim pools on cruise ships have to be relatively small.). Because the gasket on the bottom ballast valve gets worn with age and can leak, having a really good vent plug (which also keeps the water in the tank) is important. New vent plugs are cheap...adjust it for a tight fit. Next time your yacht is out of the water consider dropping out the ballast valve and renewing the gasket. I renewed the valve gasket on my 23.5, using a couple of old foam backed mouse pads for the gasket material.

I'll be very interested to learn the cause of your boat's heeling issue.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[mkrupa]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

Good news is I found the bilge dry all the way around. I checked the ballast valve and appears to be working (ie threaded rod retracts into boat as you open) I looked through vent hole with a flashlight and only see about an inch of water. seems like I may have the opposite problem where I am not filling?

I will pull out of the water next weekend to ensure valve is working right. don't know what else to look at.

 

[twalker H260]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

You may have the same problem I have occasionally. Upon initial fill the water pressure is great enough to close the fill valve by pushing it up into the closed position. I always double check now to ensure water is to just below air valve.

Trick I've found is to keep the nut lose on the fill valve rod and then push down on it long enough that I no longer feel any upward pressure on the rod, then let it fill until water is no longer rising as viewed through he air vent opening. (Watch the final stages as a heavily loaded boat may allow water to flow out the air vent hole!). Fill is usually around five minutes or so.

(When you say rod retracts into boat for fill I assume you mean it goes down towards keel rather than up towards cabin)

 

[Eric Jacobsen]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

Sounds like the problem may be the water not getting in. I had a similar problem after putting t new mouse pad seal in. Water pressure pushes the seal against the hull, you push down the plunger and the seal stays at the hull sealing. If this happens pusk the seal away with a stick in the vent hole.

 

[mkrupa]

I am thinking the same thing. Not getting water in the tank. Thenrodnisnretractingninto the hull as you would expect. I will check for blockage I suppose I could fill it with a hose at the dock.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

I found that several customers when in business would loosen the wing nut on the threaded rod thinking water would then come thru. Over time the bottom neophrene gasket glued to the round circular stainless steel metal attached to the bottom of that threaded rod would stick to the hull as it was dirty and so on. If that were the case, clean and wax and you might have to replace that seal depending on what you find. However, check the rod to see if it is up after loosening the nut and if so, simply put your foot down on it and push down so water can fill the ballast tank. Also check to see if water is about 1-2 inches from the top of the air vent. In addition clean the air vent and plug. Also make sure the plug is tight as it can be enlargened by tightening or turning it.

Make sure you also tighten the wing nut after filling the tank as when the boat leans over to the port if I recall, water will escape via the fill hole which is not good.

crazy dave condon

 

[mkrupa]

I thought that was the problem too

I pulled the boat this weekend and checked the valve open. holes are open and valve operates properly. the gasket is "loose" and I thought may of caused blockage to prevent fill. so I left the valve open and put the boat back in the water. still didn't fill to within inches of the vent valve. boat didn't feel any more stable. pulled it out again and will drop the valve out and replace/ reattach the gasket.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

where do you sail?????????? Are you up north in an area with Zebra muscles? Any marine growth?

crazy dave

 

[Brian M H23]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

sounds like you just discovered the unsinkable boat!

 

[mkrupa]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

hey Dave, I am a lake sailor. Jackson, Ms. no mussles. when I inspected the valve gasket I was able to feel around in the holes and they appear clear.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Re: any experience with Water ballast damage causing heeling

Take a stick and put it down thru the vent air hole to see how far down till you register water. Sometimes the lid was a little higher on some boats vs. others which might be the case. If you still have a problem, take it to the dealer for inspection. I try not to say that when all else fails. Please advise on my question.