Quick ballast question

02redws6ta · Newbie Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 37

I'm getting ready to go from manual to auto fill ballast and have a question...

I'm going to use three pumps, two to fill and one to drain. I'd like to only have one vent hole in the end of my install. My idea is that if I run the two fill pumps into the rear v-drive bags and then connect the bags, run a fill from those bags to my ski locker bag, then a fill to my bow sack. Will the bags vent through each other into the ski locker bag where I can run a single drain and a single vent out of the boat? If I put the drain on the front sack will it suck from the back and drain out the front?

From what I understand if I put a check valve on the drain line it will pull the water out. I don't see why this wouldn't work and would be a pretty simple/easy/cheap install. If I'm missing something please point it out.

Thanks for any help.

kartman · Posted: Aug 18, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject:

i dont see why it wouldnt work. you will have to wait prolly about an hour to get them all full like that. imo

Roos · Outlaw Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 192

The water will flow to the bag that is the lowest in the install. If you drain from the lowest point of that sac you'll be able to get all the water out of the boat. Make sure to add a electro magnetic valve after the fill pump so the water won't go back out the same way. Unless you are absolutely sure that the fill hose from the pump allways will be above the highest point of the sack which would cause a slower fill as well. I'd go for the valve.

What kind of pumps are you going to use and what size fatsac are those?
I have a total of 2400 lb ballast in my Supra 22 ssv and use 2 x 350 GPH and 1 x 750 GPH pumps to drain, which still is too slow in my opinion. I guess it's because the through hull fitting is only 1" so there are allways quite a lot of resistance.

If I were you I'd either go for one 1100 GPH fill and one 1100 GPH drain pump keeping the inlet/outlet through hull fittings at 1 1/2" or at least 1 1/4".

But then again if I would put all that work in to it I would go for seperate systems some how. Either with more pumps or more electric valves. I'd allways want to have the oppertunity to fill for example only the left rear fat sac or put some extra weight in the front and so on just to be able to get a good wake without having to move around people in the boat. Sometimes when I have people in the boat (not my buddies) I feel like they are my guests. Then I wouldn't want to tell them. Hey, can you go sit over there and you over there, I need to fine tune my wake.

Anyhow... Good luck with your project and just take an extra couple of minutes to really think about the consequences of your decisions. And keep it to 1 through hull fitting under the waterline. (I hate leaks....) =)http://forums.wakeboarder.com/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif