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another question for BLM

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:01 am
by Bullshipper
Just wondered if you have ever experimented with the auto fill ballast systems to help eliminate roll on deeper dead rise hulls that is popular on the Bar Crusher and Fisher Al monos being produced in Australia?

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:32 am
by Jay Perrotta
Hi Bull,

Great question.

Yup. Actually did a design a few years ago for a deep-vee (24 degree) 23' Center Console with water ballast.

Instead of a void that simply flooded when the boat is at rest and evacuated when on plane (like the Barcrusher) my boat was able to take the ballast with it if it wanted to.

This way you could either have a very fuel efficient, easy to trailer boat or a serious battlewagon in the nasty stuff.

Either way you do water ballast you add complexity and cost but what stopped me was fouling. What do you do about fouling in there? Can't paint it. Can't Pressure wash it. It creates a large external surface that is not really accessible.

Thanks...

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:32 pm
by peterbo3
Hi Jay,
You have obviously done your homework on the way US boaters use & store their rigs. In Australia, 100% of the flooding hull plate boats would be either trailer, lift or rack stored with probably 95% on a trailer. I have never seen an alloy hull under 25' with antifoul on it.

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:01 pm
by Daddy'O
Jay/Peter,

Could elaborate on 'Fouling' to us (me). :) I'm still somewhat of novice with the alloy nomenclature.

Thanks,
Wayne

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:34 pm
by Jay Perrotta
Daddy'O wrote:Jay/Peter,

Could elaborate on 'Fouling' to us (me). :) I'm still somewhat of novice with the alloy nomenclature.

Thanks,
Wayne
Just marine growth. Barnacles, algae...stuff. If its just on the bottom you can pressure wash/scrape but if in an internal tank or recess it would be inaccessible.

I still think its a really great idea - makes two boats for the price of one...

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:29 pm
by Daddy'O
Thanks for the clarification. That's what I thought you were talking about, just wasn't 100% sure.

Wayne