V-drive ballast (starting from scratch)

[toyotafreak]

Can't friggin wait to drive our boat with 1500. It won't be 'pro', but it'll be bad nonetheless.

And it'll take TWO miles to get up. Actually, I'm looking forward to hooking up with some of the local guys to spend time on their boats. Just don't have enough experience to know for sure how strong the Epic's good points are and how weak their bad points are. I love it, but it's almost all I know in terms of towboats (lots of time behind a '96 Sunsetter and a little behind an '03 Centurion - it's true what they say about that thing's peakiniess.)


Merry CHRISTmas !!!

[cyclone]

THe direct drive epics are a little snappier than the V drives, but they both get up on plane pretty well with weight. You'll want some in the bow, but I prefer about 70% in the back.

[toyotafreak]

The uncovered Bump fills up the trunk (waaaaayyy back there), and the covered one goes in the walkway.

If all the way forward, there will probably be too much weight forward.

Think to keep CG normal, the Bump needs to slide back like 18". Will sometime try sliding it all the way back (should allow us access to the cubby - don't expect good results but have to check it out.)

Those things are 66" long!

[toyotafreak]

BUMPS ARE IN THE HOUSE !!!



Mrs. Toyotafreak hooked me up. Shall bust it tomorrow. Cross yer fingers.



Merry Christmas!

[cyclone]

So, did it get busted? What was it, anyway?

[toyotafreak]

The 1500 beautiful pounds of ballast got brought, drove and rode behind. I was half expecting the wake to be scary, but it wasn't. Air was there if we wanted it, but it didn't 'feel' much bigger than stock.

Filled the one in the trunk to max, then tried the other one in three different spots: all the way forward, all the way aft and one sort of in the middle. Wake got crumbly with it aft and bow rise suffered (duh) with the bag aft. For now, I think we'll be sliding it all the way forward.

Boat handled the weight well, but we got thrown off by the fact that the speedo needle was off (for the first time). The thing that tripped me out was that the Accuski speedo and the needle didn't match. Accuski looked to be correct, and I know both signals originate from the same source (MDDC). Coulda/should reset the electronics while we were out there.

So...at anything above 20 mph, with both bags full and a full-length rope, the wake was hard and clean without any crumble. Getting across at that length feels (nd is) much bigger now than without weight. Pop is there to be had, but it's rampy enough for us old guys.

And it was cold as hell, too. I suck so bad as a boarder now that I'm getting a custom waterprooof paper sack made to wear over my head.

[toyotafreak]

Must be winter again, cuz I'm thinking about ballast.

Reviewed the Flow-Rite website and built a couple options here.

The first appeals because it's simple and also because during draining, you can see the water emptying out the side of the boat - when it stops, you know to shut down.

[toyotafreak]

This option appeals because there's only one hole (through transom down low), one valve, one control. I don't like the fact that you can't see it emptying over the side. Doesn't seem as clean. Not sure the valve is fully hi-flow like the prior valves are.

BTW, in both examples, the intake is in the transom down by the garboard drain and all valves/pumps are down near the steering tiller. Bags are in the v-drive compartments for a total of 1150 pounds.

Expect to rig microswitches either to the valve body or the actuator body to control power to the pumps.



And by the way, did you know you can 'Save As' jpegs in PowerPoint?