I've finally gotten bottom paint on our H26 and will be leaving her in the slip most of the time now. I searched the archives regarding winter and the water ballast tanks but the links to responses seem to have been missed...so here goes the same old question again. The boat is in Oklahoma where the winter can be below freezing for weeks but the lake doesn't usually freeze solid. Is there any way to "blow out" the ballast tank to keep from freezing without hauling the boat? I plan to haul after Jan. 1 which is usually when the bay might freeze up but want the ability to sail on those nice November and December days. Thanks Jim Covey s/v Wampeter
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G. Ned Christensen
Blowing Ballast
There was a tidbit in Sail or Cruising Wrold Magazine a couple of years ago about blowing out ballast. The idea is to drill a hole in the top of the tank near the vent under the step and install an automotive valve stem. Compressed air is then added to create positive pressure. It was recommended in the article to also intall a presure valve to avoid too high of pressure and damageing the tanks. It was suggested in the article that this be done in the water and would also lighten the load when driving up the ramp. I have been tempeted to try this with my H26, but have not done so yet. Perhaps someone can share their experience with this technique. By the way, Hunter suggested adding antifreeze to the ballast tanks in the Winter. Best wishes, Ned Christensen Second Wind
There was a tidbit in Sail or Cruising Wrold Magazine a couple of years ago about blowing out ballast. The idea is to drill a hole in the top of the tank near the vent under the step and install an automotive valve stem. Compressed air is then added to create positive pressure. It was recommended in the article to also intall a presure valve to avoid too high of pressure and damageing the tanks. It was suggested in the article that this be done in the water and would also lighten the load when driving up the ramp. I have been tempeted to try this with my H26, but have not done so yet. Perhaps someone can share their experience with this technique. By the way, Hunter suggested adding antifreeze to the ballast tanks in the Winter. Best wishes, Ned Christensen Second Wind
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Ken Shubert
SALT?
One of the old HOW posts recommended using water softener salt which is pretty inexpensive and doesn't contaminate the water with anything very toxic. I think there's a couple hundred gallons of water and that would take 10 gallons or more of RV type antifreeze ---- just doesn't seem too practical. Some have used 1500 watt heaters in the cabin too. It seems to me that there's really no danger until the lake freezes around the boat and I hope to have my pulled by then. You probably could put a valve stem in place of that "bottle stopper" under the step... mine fits too loose to hold air pressure anyway. Don't forget to re-flood when you take it for a sail! Ken S/V Wouff Hong
One of the old HOW posts recommended using water softener salt which is pretty inexpensive and doesn't contaminate the water with anything very toxic. I think there's a couple hundred gallons of water and that would take 10 gallons or more of RV type antifreeze ---- just doesn't seem too practical. Some have used 1500 watt heaters in the cabin too. It seems to me that there's really no danger until the lake freezes around the boat and I hope to have my pulled by then. You probably could put a valve stem in place of that "bottle stopper" under the step... mine fits too loose to hold air pressure anyway. Don't forget to re-flood when you take it for a sail! Ken S/V Wouff Hong
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Harvey Small
Use your trailer
I wouldn't blow out the ballast & leave my boat unattended for any length of time. Once I launched the boat & planned on opening the tank the next morning. When I returned, water had seeped in to just the right level. There's a lot of hydrostatic pressure on that gasket! If you want to take advantage of the occasional warm day on a winter weekend, maybe you can leave your boat on the trailer with the mast up.
I wouldn't blow out the ballast & leave my boat unattended for any length of time. Once I launched the boat & planned on opening the tank the next morning. When I returned, water had seeped in to just the right level. There's a lot of hydrostatic pressure on that gasket! If you want to take advantage of the occasional warm day on a winter weekend, maybe you can leave your boat on the trailer with the mast up.
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Alan Long
Pump it?
Haven't tried this on my 23.5, but wonder if you could use one of the small battery powered or drill powered pumps. Put a long piece of plastic tubing on the suction side and another on the discharge side. Seems that you could just pump most of it overboard. Hmmmm..problem might be that the gasket in the bottom of the hull will leak and just refill the tank though. Good luck SV "Random Access" Alan
Haven't tried this on my 23.5, but wonder if you could use one of the small battery powered or drill powered pumps. Put a long piece of plastic tubing on the suction side and another on the discharge side. Seems that you could just pump most of it overboard. Hmmmm..problem might be that the gasket in the bottom of the hull will leak and just refill the tank though. Good luck SV "Random Access" Alan
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Gus Elia
I wouldn't blow out.
I'm not a boat designer, I do airplanes, but I wouldn't apply any pressure to my ballast tank without checking with Hunter first. What pressure would you use? Even at 5 psi, assuming a ballast tank of about 20 foot X 5 foot would yield a force of 72,000 pounds pushing up on the top of the tank which would probably delaminate the upper panel from the hull. Pumping the water out sounds like a much safer idea. If you check with Hunter let us know. We're all looking for safe alternatives. Good Luck.
I'm not a boat designer, I do airplanes, but I wouldn't apply any pressure to my ballast tank without checking with Hunter first. What pressure would you use? Even at 5 psi, assuming a ballast tank of about 20 foot X 5 foot would yield a force of 72,000 pounds pushing up on the top of the tank which would probably delaminate the upper panel from the hull. Pumping the water out sounds like a much safer idea. If you check with Hunter let us know. We're all looking for safe alternatives. Good Luck.
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Mike Pajewski
Pump her out
I left my 23.5 "Summer Rental" in the water year round when we lived in Norfolk,VA. During that first winter, we were threatened with sub-zero (RARE!!) temperatures. I used a roto-flex type pump to pump out my ballast tank, and then I put two gallons of RV anti-freeze in the tank. With the flood valve closed and the vent plug tightly installed, it never froze and it never filled either. This was also in salt water, which must be several dergrees coldeer to freeze. I have not pushed my luck here in the midwest, although my H26 is still in Lake Michigan, waiting for us to haul her out on Sunday. Mike Pajewski H26 "LOON"
I left my 23.5 "Summer Rental" in the water year round when we lived in Norfolk,VA. During that first winter, we were threatened with sub-zero (RARE!!) temperatures. I used a roto-flex type pump to pump out my ballast tank, and then I put two gallons of RV anti-freeze in the tank. With the flood valve closed and the vent plug tightly installed, it never froze and it never filled either. This was also in salt water, which must be several dergrees coldeer to freeze. I have not pushed my luck here in the midwest, although my H26 is still in Lake Michigan, waiting for us to haul her out on Sunday. Mike Pajewski H26 "LOON"
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Steve
Heater
If you have power I would put a heater inside the boat set at about 60. I don't think it would get cold enough to freeze. Steve in Wichita, KS
If you have power I would put a heater inside the boat set at about 60. I don't think it would get cold enough to freeze. Steve in Wichita, KS
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