Folks, Looking for some advice. Has anybody every kept their water ballast boat in a slip for any length of time? I've can wet slip my boat for about $93/month. But, I'm wary of letting ballast water sit in the tank for that long. Any advice? Deucer
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I just put my H26 on the buoy for the
summer. I'm repeating what I've heard, not what I've experienced myself. Throw a cup of chlorine bleach in the ballast tank and relax. That's what I'm going to do. I'll know in the fall how it works. I have several friends with water ballast boats, and nobody has had bad news about ballast water problems. Here in BC we tend to keep out boats in the water for months at a time, even trailer boats. Maybe some experienced owners will enlighten us here.
summer. I'm repeating what I've heard, not what I've experienced myself. Throw a cup of chlorine bleach in the ballast tank and relax. That's what I'm going to do. I'll know in the fall how it works. I have several friends with water ballast boats, and nobody has had bad news about ballast water problems. Here in BC we tend to keep out boats in the water for months at a time, even trailer boats. Maybe some experienced owners will enlighten us here.
Wet slip for water ballast boat
Deucer, I have a 2003 260 that I keep in a slip all the time. I have had no problems with it. Every once in a while I put the boat on the trailer and empty the ballast water. Also put bleach in the ballast tank to reduce any smells. There are also some posts in the knowledgebase about using a pump to remove the ballast water. Check it out. Allan S/V Carrousail
Deucer, I have a 2003 260 that I keep in a slip all the time. I have had no problems with it. Every once in a while I put the boat on the trailer and empty the ballast water. Also put bleach in the ballast tank to reduce any smells. There are also some posts in the knowledgebase about using a pump to remove the ballast water. Check it out. Allan S/V Carrousail
Piece of cake
I pull mine once yearly to inspect the hull and service the outboard. Otherwise, it floats. Dicey this past year since the lake skinned over with ice and I was REALLY worried about the ballast freezing (something not of a concern in Biloxi, I imagine), but dumping half a bag of water softener salt in the ballast tank, one pellet at a time, lowered the freezing point and kept things from popping. I would have pulled the boat from the water, but due to local drought there were no ramps that extended to the lake surface. Please send rain. haven't tried the Chlorox in the tank, but haven't had a problem with smell either.
I pull mine once yearly to inspect the hull and service the outboard. Otherwise, it floats. Dicey this past year since the lake skinned over with ice and I was REALLY worried about the ballast freezing (something not of a concern in Biloxi, I imagine), but dumping half a bag of water softener salt in the ballast tank, one pellet at a time, lowered the freezing point and kept things from popping. I would have pulled the boat from the water, but due to local drought there were no ramps that extended to the lake surface. Please send rain. haven't tried the Chlorox in the tank, but haven't had a problem with smell either.
Three years now, same as Rick
I add a gallon of bleach when I put my 1998 H260 in every spring. I'm on a river that feeds Lake Erie, and I just let the river water fill it up; there's no city water access nearby. It's pretty brown looking coming into the ballast, but the bleach seems to kill all the bugs, and it smells nice all season long, through October. With it in the water full-time you get to enjoy it on short notice and get an extra hour or two of sailing time!
I add a gallon of bleach when I put my 1998 H260 in every spring. I'm on a river that feeds Lake Erie, and I just let the river water fill it up; there's no city water access nearby. It's pretty brown looking coming into the ballast, but the bleach seems to kill all the bugs, and it smells nice all season long, through October. With it in the water full-time you get to enjoy it on short notice and get an extra hour or two of sailing time!
Since 2001
Our marina has been launching with the ballast valve closed and we fill up the ballast tank at the dock with city water. We always use a large bottle of Clorox (1 gal +)and a funnel. We fill through the vent hole with a garden hose adaptor made with 1/2" vinyl tubing. The boat is in its slip from May to October and we never had a problem with odor or any other ballast problem. Note: The boat is very tipsy until the ballast is filled so be careful. Ed
Our marina has been launching with the ballast valve closed and we fill up the ballast tank at the dock with city water. We always use a large bottle of Clorox (1 gal +)and a funnel. We fill through the vent hole with a garden hose adaptor made with 1/2" vinyl tubing. The boat is in its slip from May to October and we never had a problem with odor or any other ballast problem. Note: The boat is very tipsy until the ballast is filled so be careful. Ed
Stinky Ballast Water
Re stinky water. I think it depends on where you sail and how long the boat is in the water. Here in Lake Michigan the water is almost clean enough to drink straight from the bay -- we only sail about 5 months a year and pull the boat in the fall. Stinky ballast water is not a problem. Putting fresh water in the tank with a hose is not a bad idea but my valve does not have a perfect seal. Even with it screwed down tight, ballast water will eventually leak out. If I was really concerned, I'd replace the gasket and make it water tight. Pouring bleach into the tank would kill the algae and critters that lurk in your tank, but when you dump it, the chemical ends up in the water and that might not be such a good idea.
Re stinky water. I think it depends on where you sail and how long the boat is in the water. Here in Lake Michigan the water is almost clean enough to drink straight from the bay -- we only sail about 5 months a year and pull the boat in the fall. Stinky ballast water is not a problem. Putting fresh water in the tank with a hose is not a bad idea but my valve does not have a perfect seal. Even with it screwed down tight, ballast water will eventually leak out. If I was really concerned, I'd replace the gasket and make it water tight. Pouring bleach into the tank would kill the algae and critters that lurk in your tank, but when you dump it, the chemical ends up in the water and that might not be such a good idea.
Bleach
I have a water ballast H240 and have had it in a slip for 11 months here in Dallas. No problems so far. I have read messages on this site that chlorine bleach can adversely affect some of the fittings in the tank. I found some non-chlorine bleach at Whole Foods and it is effective to control the smell that develops during the summer months.
I have a water ballast H240 and have had it in a slip for 11 months here in Dallas. No problems so far. I have read messages on this site that chlorine bleach can adversely affect some of the fittings in the tank. I found some non-chlorine bleach at Whole Foods and it is effective to control the smell that develops during the summer months.
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