I recently purchased a 260 with water ballast. Plan to store the boat in slip on Wheeler Lake off the Tennessee River in North Alabama. Winters are very mild here having only seen 1/2 inch of snow in 12 years. Sometime temps can dip into the teens or 20's for a few days with highs below freezing during the day. Will this be cold enough to freeze the ballast tank even though the water in the lake is not frozen over? Will pumping some of the water out of tank prevent the tank from rupturing? Has anyone kept the boat in a slip w/o any water in the ballast?
Water Ballast Freezing
- Thread starter scooters6
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The valve on most if not all ballast tanks is difficult to seal completely. You'll have to take special precautions to make sure water won't get into the tank. Think about how much pressure is on the seal.
Hunter recommends draining the tank to prevent freezing. I'm uncertain how you would "partially drain" the tank.
Fixing a compromised tank is expensive and a real pain. I'd think long and hard about this plan as you could ruin a good boat.
Without its ballast, the boat is just a big canoe.
http://h260.com
Hunter recommends draining the tank to prevent freezing. I'm uncertain how you would "partially drain" the tank.
Fixing a compromised tank is expensive and a real pain. I'd think long and hard about this plan as you could ruin a good boat.
Without its ballast, the boat is just a big canoe.
http://h260.com
While I am NOT endorsing the idea of leaving water in the ballast tank in freezing weather, I would believe the water in the tank would act as a "heat sink" like some ponds and lakes. In freezing weather the outer edges would freeze first in a thin layer, and then as more heat is drawn out the freezing will continue. Falling below freezing for a few days should theoretically not be a problem - but I would also say that would be influenced by the temperature of the days preceeding that, too. If you have a week or two of 33 degree weather (leaving not much "heat" in the water) and then have 4-5 days of temperatures in the 20's you could burst that tank like a frozen popcan. Because of the shape of the tank, I don't think partially draining it would give you much insurance. I think you ought to try to pull it when those freezing days come.
It takes extended periods of hard cold to freeze that much water. The lake freezing to several inches would indicate that kind of cold. I don't think you have much to worry about in Alabama. If you are really concerned, put RV water system anti-freeze in the tank.
I wonder what the state department of water quality would think about releasing antifreeze (even the RV type) into public waters??
In the Great Lakes there are large fines for discharging any foreign material into the water. Also, how many gallons of anti-freeze would it take to prevent the water from freezing?
In the Great Lakes there are large fines for discharging any foreign material into the water. Also, how many gallons of anti-freeze would it take to prevent the water from freezing?
Hey Scooter, for the most part, the water in your ballast should do whatever the water in the lake does. Almost all of your ballast water is at and below the lake's surface level. I think the lake will act enough like a heat sink to keep your ballast water close to lake water temperature. Also, the slight wave action should keep the ballast water agitated enough to keep it at almost the same temp as the lake water. I don't think the lake water temp there hardly ever gets below 40 degrees. Mike has some excellent observations about extended cold followed by very low temps. You SHOULD be OK if you monitor conditions and act accordingly. I've seen archive photos of the Tennessee River freezing, but that was turn of the last century stuff. You should, however watch out for any other water in your boat above water level. That water could easily freeze with just an overnight hard freeze . BrianW
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