Ballast Questions

timmyDecker · Outlaw Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 187 City: Manhattan...KS

I posted this in the boating section, but no love...thanks for the reply ontrider

I'm looking at adding some ballast to my boat this year and I wanted to clarify some things before I bought the sacs. I did a search on these topics and didn't come up with what I was looking for exactly. Sorry if I missed anything.
First, I have a 23 foot twin engine jet boat. I know it's not ideal for wakeboarding, but it's what I'm working with. It's similar in set-up to an I/O, but the engines are a little lighter and it only draws 18 inches of water.
I've seen people talking about the 60/40 rule, but it seems half of the people are saying the 60% goes up front, and the other half say the 60% should go in the back. Which is it? Or does it depend on the boat?
As far as wake characterisitics, can someone explain how to shape your wake? In other words, what makes a wake steeper, what makes it firmer, what makes it lippier (is that even a word?... ), etc.
Is there anything else I should be considering?
Thanks in advance

GuitsBoy · Posted: Apr 26, 2007 11:57 am Post subject:

Heres my take... You'll probably want to put the 60% in the back and the 40% up front. Reason being because the front is a more of a V shape that the rear, which means it displaces less water than the rear. Just try it out. you can move them around till you find what works best for your boat.

Chattwake · Posted: Apr 26, 2007 12:49 pm Post subject:

Why don't you just figure this out by trial and error. Unless someone here has that same boat, the only advice your going to get will be someone guessing what you should do. Every boat is different. Just put them where they'll fit, check out the wake at 22mph and shift the sacks until you're satisfied.

timmyDecker · Outlaw Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 187 City: Manhattan...KS

well I haven't bought any sacs yet, so I was trying to get an idea before spending the money. Ideally I would like to keep the sacs out of view by putting one in the ski locker and one under each seat in the back. So I guess what I'm really trying to figure out is which sacs to get for each spot. I think I have a pretty good idea, just want to see what advice is out there to make sure I'm not overlooking anything.

Chattwake · Posted: Apr 26, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:

You want some advice, considering the limited storage in your boat, you should go with either (1) lead or (2) buy some water bed tubes that you can jam whereever you want them. I've got about ten that I used in my old XStar.

timmyDecker · Outlaw Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 187 City: Manhattan...KS

02lightning, water bed tubes = water bed mattresses? I thought about that but I was afraid they would develop leaks too easily. Do you know how many gallons a mattress holds?...to figure out how much weight they could be? Did you ever have any problems with the ones in your X-star?
I've also thought about the lead, but I think I like the idea of being able to ditch the extra weight without having to go back to the dock. A little while ago somebody posted a site that sold sets of lead bags that weighed like 40lbs each I think. Those looked pretty handy for getting precise amounts of weight where you want them without too much hassle.

bmartin · Addict Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 794

I do not know where to start with a jet boat. Since you want to try before you buy sacs, I would suggest loading up your boat with as many family/friends/heavies as you can get and move them around. 10-15 people should let you see what 2000lbs will look like. Weight is weight and people are a whole lot easier to move around when you are in the experimental stages.

Chattwake · Posted: Apr 27, 2007 4:42 am Post subject:

Water bed matress tubes weigh about 80-100lbs each. They won't bust easily. I've had no problems with these. Honestly, if you want like five or six of these, I'll sell them to you for $10/each + the ride. Check and see what you can get them for 'cause I have no idea. I traded some LF transits for the tubes and a fat sac last season.

timmyDecker · Outlaw Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 187 City: Manhattan...KS

02lightning, I appreciate it. My boat is getting some gel coat repairs done right now, but once I get it back and can get some measurements on the storage spaces, I'll PM you if I decide to go that route.
By the way, I just realized that new VLX is yours...beautiful boat. Congrats.

Chattwake · Posted: Apr 27, 2007 6:14 am Post subject:

No problem. Thanks for the compliment. I'll let you know how big those tubes are. I believe that they are around six feet in length and eight inches in diameter when full

timmyDecker · Outlaw Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 187 City: Manhattan...KS

Oh, OK. I guess I was confused about what a water bed tube is. I used to have a water bed and the mattress was a single "sac" that filled a queen-sized box. I was trying to figure out how that could fit in the boat without being a nuisance. What you're describing seems much more practical. Again, thanks for the help.

Chattwake · Posted: Apr 27, 2007 6:53 am Post subject:

Yeah, they're like moving around something the size of a water noodle. They're perfect for underneath compartments and such. It's just a pain to fill up six or eight of them if that's what you need.

timmyDecker · Outlaw Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 187 City: Manhattan...KS

Yeah I can imagine. There might be a way to split the hose from the pump into 2-3 other lines running to each of those tubes if they're in the same compartment. That's a little bit further down the road though.