As H26 floor sags does this decrease ballast tanks so boat rides higher?

[Davenport]

As H26 floor sags does this decrease ballast tanks so boat rides higher? I notice my h260 floor sags a lot, and the boat seems to ride high. This is fine since Im not an aggressive sailor likely to ever need all the ballast.

My boat also sits with nose very low and even when I put all the weight of food, supplies, and water bottles in the rear queen berth it STILL sits a bit nose low. And I have a 9.9 hp outboard too helping pull the rear down and nose up. Hmmmm. If I ever filled up the front water tank this huge weight would really make it sit nose low. Do many people fill up the factory white water tank in the V berth? Has anyone else noticed tendency of h26 to be nose low???

DAVE

 

[twalker H260]

First thing that comes to mind is if the ballast tank has filled to capacity?
Our 260 has a soft cabin sole until the ballast tank is filled, then it is very rigid. How do you check if your tank is full? I have on occasion found that our tank has not been filled due to the metal plate/gasket becoming pushed up, sealing the ballast tank and preventing ballast tank being filling. Pushing down with some force on the wing nut/rod allows the tank to resume filling.
water should be visible in the 1” vent opening to the port side of the ballast rod/wing nut. (On ours it is just to the under side of the fibreglass). Once filled, with the air vent plug in place and the wing nut tightened down on the ballast rod there should be minimal flex in the cabin sole as there should no where for the water to be displaced to.
If your tank is full and you are still experiencing a flexible floor perhaps the gaskets or seals on the ballast drain plate, air vent or the gasket/seal under the wing nut washer are no longer sealing fully?
A less than full ballast tank could lead to a bow down situation as there would be more buoyancy aft and would also lead to decreased stability and a soft cabin floor.
Do you hear any “sloshing” as you move about in the cabin?

Our water tank in the bow is usually filled to capacity as the boat handles much better both in the water and on the trailer with the additional weight forward.

How and when are you determining the bow down attitude? Ours will be slightly bow down when no one is aboard in her slip but is pretty much corrected to slightly aft down as more crew are added.

 

[Davenport]

Good thoughts.. I just figured out front tank is full of water, probably sitting full 2 years. That's 180 pounds dragging down bow.. That makes me feel more assured, I can lighten bow... If I can figure out how I may drain, and then half refill.... I have a big 9.9 up in back... Hmmm

My water ballast rides high, flush with and leaking out of the hole in that step compartment. I siliconed in the gap around that step so that gives me 5 more inches before a runaway flooding can occur. Say if rubber stopper pops out.

My wood floor seems old and crackly, so Id guess it's a bad condition leading to more pressure on ballast tank. I've been in other h26 boats and mine is extra bouncy. I'm 250 pounds so yes maybe I'm not helping..

Hmmm, water gets under the floor when it rains and drips in, and then for day it leaks back up from under wood..., so I sorta want to strengthen the wood only to still let it leak out after a rainstorm, if that makes sense. Resin by brush only the wood area and NOT the major edge. So I may resin a quarter inch over the wood, so one day I don't step thru the floor haha...
Dave

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@Davenport
When Hunter built the 260, all fiberglass was precut and laid accordingly to strict specifications. Therefore, all the boats pretty much weighed the same leaving the factory as i checked it out on occasion during transport to my dealership.

you advised the bow sits too low in the water. I have seen the waterline actually by accident being low but the only way to check this is ask someone to measure their waterline from deck to actual waterline. How about a picture?

the leak you described coming from the companionway cover is resulting from a broken silicone seal on the teak strip used to stop the slider hatch from coming out and to divert water to the water trough. Otherwise water will drip onto teak and holly sole and will allow water to seep underneath the floor if not sealed properly. This can be fixed.

you willl need to pull the slider hatch off and recaulk that teak stopper ands thisvis a tw person job due to safety. Depending on the floor needs a better clarification with supporting photos.