Ballast spring freeze question

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Charles Ross

Hi all, This will be my first year with a ’95 H26. I am ready to get it out on the water and start sailing. I've read the disclaimers on the ballast tank freezing and how you are in deep trouble if freezing occurs. I'm up in north Idaho on Coeur d'Alene. While the days are slowly warming up into the 50s, the nights may have 4-6 hours of below freezing (as low as 20, but usually 28-32) conditions. It's like this through April into May. Is this something I should worry about, or is just a few hours below freezing not enough time to create problems? Thanks for any insight!! Sincerely, Charles Ross crjb1@yahoo.com
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
RV Antifreeze.

Charles: I do not know anything about the water ballast boats, but if you have a way to add RV Antifreeze to the ballast tank you should be able to get freeze protection to protect the tanks. I would suggest that you get the 100-stuff. You may be able to take a sample to a automotive garage and have it tested too.
 
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Jim Covey

If the lake doesn't freeze...

you don't have to worry about it. The balast will stay around the same as the ambient water temp. so if it's not freezing your ballast tank won't freeze either. I've left my boat in the water during Oklahoma winters where we have gotten ice for a few days but have never even seen skim ice in the ballast tank. (I wouldn't recommend leaving a full tank in colder climates).
 
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John Baumgartner

your ok

It would take more than a couple of hours of freezing outside tempature to hurt anything, adding anti-freeze would be a BIG expence to treat 2000 lbs of water, now if the water was hard (ice)on Coeur d'Alene than I would worry.A 260 owner in the middle South, LOL
 
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Tom H.

There is some insulation factor in that the

ballast tank is layered between the hull and the sole. It would take many nights of deep freezing for it to freeze yor tank. Besides, if the days are above freezing, that midigates any night freezing. Like the othe respondant said, if the lake isn't freezing, neither will your tank. Have fun on your H26!! They are really great boats!
 
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress

Overnight dips below freezing are nothing to

worry about as long as the daytime temps are at least 40. Before the water in your ballast tanks (or anything else on the boat) can freeze, the hull has to be below freezing and stay there long enough ...and just overnight isn't long enough.
 
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Jim Covey

One other thing

Charles, I forgot to mention in my previous post that you should be careful with the plastic check valves for the sink faucets. These are located under the sink right on the bottom of the faucet. You still probably don't need to worry about these right now but they are susceptible to breaking as there's a small amount of water trapped in there. The 1st fall I had my 26 I had both valves break on me.
 
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Crazy Dave Condon

Good responses

Peggy summed it up very well. Adding RV Antifreeze will not really help and do not recommend that at all. I do suggest that you add some chlorox to the ballast tank as micro organisms still grow in the abscence of sunlight and oxyegon. Otherwise you will open up the tank and the smell is worse then a nasty old fart. crazy Dave
 
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