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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Water Ballast - Anti-freeze

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RCG
Deckhand

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1 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/23/2005 : 11:39:21

I plan on keeping my 250 WB in the water all winter. The boat is docked at the mouth of the Rappahannok river off of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.

Any suggestions on whether I should pour some anti-freeze in the WB to prevent freezing this winter? Any other suggestions to address this risk?

Thanks.

Edited by - on

Quentin
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2005 : 05:57:36

RCG,

Last weekend (12/4) I pulled my WB out of Harve De Grace. I think the water in the bay will keep the water in the ballast from freezing, but if it does freeze the result would be a disaster.

If my WB was to stay in the bay over the winter I would use an air mattress inflator to blow the ballast water out. There is a thread somewhere on this forum that covers details. A word of caution do not use any form of an air compressor even with a pressure regulator.

This is my reasoning; not knowing the dimensions of the ballast tank I will guess at 20 foot long and 8 foot wide. Those dimensions represent a hull surface area of 23,040 square inches. Considering most pressure regulators found around our workshops are not designed to hold low pressure accurately it would be difficult to maintain 3 psi. , pressure will fluctuate a few psi.

At just 3 psi the hull area would be exposed to a force of 69,120 lbs. I think that amount of force would also result in a disaster and worst you not nature would be the cause. Hard to explain that to wife, friends and the boat insurance people.

If I didn’t know that others successfully used air mattress inflators to empty their ballast I would be worried using one to blow my balast. The difference is air mattress inflators are high volume low pressure.

Take Care.

Edited by - on

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2005 : 07:20:36

Even if you "blew" the ballast, some would still be in the tank. Anitfreeze seems like a good solution. If you have power available, a heater inside would also offer some protection. One of the oil filled radiator types, should offer safe heat.

How do you put antifreeze into a ballast tank?

Tom.

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Mark Loyacano
Navigator

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USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2005 : 09:18:43

It might be valuable to question whether or not fiberglass and anti freeze (glycol) are compatable for prolonged exposure. It would be a real "shock" to find delamination in progress next Spring.

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Dick Dyer
Deckhand

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16 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2005 : 20:54:47

Please don't use glycol based antifreeze in your ballast tank, as that will be a toxic release into the water when you do blow out your ballast. I think you would be better thinking about RV antifreeze which is safe in drinking water tanks (alcohol based). I think this mix would also be safe for fiberglas.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 12/17/2005 : 09:20:46

Having "Blown the water ballast for four years now, 1,you will have water left in the tank. 2' If you use a small funnel you might be able to pour some RV anti-freeze in that way, I put chlorox in thru a funnel when I fill the ballast tank. 3 I use a small portable vacumn cleaner with the hose hooked up to the output side of the cleaner. Also I have the drain valve WIDE open before starting the blowout process and remove the vacumn cleaner hose before closing the drain valve. Just my "two cents"

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sailorman
1st Mate

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USA
69 Posts

Response Posted - 12/18/2005 : 23:12:48

Chlorine in water acts as antifreeze. The freezing point of chlorine is -29F (or -33.3C). Of course, mixed with water the freezing point is modified some but it will lower the freezing point of you water ballast. Since most of us have chlorine in our ballast tanks we already have antifreeze.

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oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2005 : 11:04:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Mark Loyacano
 It might be valuable to question whether or not fiberglass and anti freeze (glycol) are compatable for prolonged exposure. It would be a real "shock" to find delamination in progress next Spring.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I've been throwing a gallon of glycol based anti freeze into my bilge in case some water finds its way in, since '83 with no problems whatsoever. By the way, it keeps the bilge nice and sweet since it destroys any bacteria that could accumulate there over the summer.

In the spring I pump it out of the bilge and back into a container for disposal so as not to pollute.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.