Water Ballast Tank

[monark192]

I remember seeing an ad in one of the sailing magazines (I forget which) for water ballast tanks that you can attach to the rail of you boat. I am thinking that this might be a solution to help me under a bridge when I don''t have the required number of crew to heal the boat far enough.

Does anyone know where I could find such a thing?

[paulk]

It''s possible that a 5 gallon bucket hung out on the end of the boom will heel your boat more than a 50 gallon tank hanging from the rail. A temporary "heeling tank" sounds like a hassle to buy (as you can see, because you can''t find it), a hassle to set up (you''ll have to tie it onto the toerail each time, and it will look hokey), and a hassle to fill and empty. (You don''t need funnels and buckets, you''re going to use the foredeck salt-water washdown hose, right? Then you empty it after you''re through the bridge by opening the valve at the bottom while hanging by your toes from the lifeline? Of course not- your wife lifts the 50 gallon - 400 pound - tank on deck with one hand and opens it there with the other....) A large bucket makes a lot more sense, is a lot cheaper than any tank could be our local bakery sells their empty 5 gallon plastic doughnut jelly buckets for $2.00 each) and you can use it for other things when you''re not squeaking under low bridges.

[MaryBeth]

Monark,

First, good luck. But, there are water ballast tanks for things such as wakeboarding, etc. If these could actually be attached to the railing, there is a pump made for them that fills each 500 lb. or so tank in under five minutes. Now, how easy this would be to do underway during a race when you''re shorthanded anyway, I don''t know. But perhaps there is such a pump for the tanks you have in mind.

Best of Luck,
Mary