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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Ballast vent reposition.

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azexploder
1st Mate

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USA
78 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/26/2003 : 23:19:17

I had a Macgregor 26 and they had the ballast vent under the step next to the valve wingnut. I drilled out a 1" hole on the raised portion of the tank and installed a stopper. I can feel the air pumping out as she fills and I have a dipper to tell when to close the valve.

I plan to keep a high volume raft inflator under the step to pump out the water at the dock before loading. This way the pump is in easy reach of the stock 12v outlet, so no additional holes.

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2003 : 23:53:50

Cool

. Ought to work very well, great idea.

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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2030 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 10:12:51

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">the stock 12v outlet<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Whuh whah where?

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 11:15:29

It means that the previous owner wasn't as crude as most of us make him out to be... he installed the outlet so well that it looks stock.

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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2030 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 13:25:54

Aahh....I thought so.

BTW, when the boat is loaded with stuff and people the top of the "dome" in the bottom step is below sea level. An unsupervised 1' hole with filler valve open could prove, eh, shall we say embarassing.......

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake

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azexploder
1st Mate

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USA
78 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 20:32:37

That is why I drilled the hole 1". A transom drain plug is inserted when I hit my desired ballast.

I will be experimenting with different depths as I sail with different amounts of movable ballast, ie crew.

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 21:48:33

Just remember.....if it's not full, it all ends up on one side....which could be the wrong one.....

Picture a forced tack in a starboard/port scenario. You have lots of rail-meat so you decided to fill the ballast tank half way.

As you quickly come about, the meat is on the wrong rail, and now the ballast comes over to that side too. Somehow the jib operator did not get the jib released, and oh yeah, there's a fifteen knot puff......

That's a lot of &*(%# working against you.

Personally I have it empty (no wind) or full, more than no wind.

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake

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ekremer
Deckhand

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19 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 22:33:54

I may be mistaken, but according to the owner of hull #2, the prototype 250WB hull #1 had the fill vent next to the valve mechanism. When it sank, they moved the vent to the anchor locker in subsequent editions.

E. Kremer

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 22:37:19

Mike, you do raise an interesting question that has been discussed in the past... without any conclusions.

I've said for a while now... that a c250 water ballast could run away from the pack in very light conditions if it were sailed like a dinghy without ballast.

Partial ballasts... that would take some thought and possibly more...

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azexploder
1st Mate

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USA
78 Posts

Response Posted - 10/29/2003 : 20:15:49

My 95 Mac26 I was able to roll her 45 degrees standing on the outside part of the midship deck. I found that out on accident. Did not want to do that again, too much time cleanng up the cabin.

I have not attempted to see how far the C250 would go..yet. I will be attaching a teather to the plug and packing a backup in the valve compartment after the "sinking" comment. Don't want that 15 minutes of fame.

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