Keeping Bilge Dry on the Water Ballast
The following precautions come partly from my own experience but mostly from others who have posted to the C250 forum. I've only experienced a small amount of water (a few quarts) in the bilge from forgetting to close the ballast valve. The valve shaft hole is a little above the water line...but when the boat heels and the valve is not tightened so as to provide a seal both at the valve and the shaft...a small amount of water will enter the bilge from the valve shaft hole. This happened on my first Great Lakes Cruise.
Mark Melchoir reported several inches in his bilge as a result of the valve shaft not sealing because the shaft was located on a curved surface of the tank riser located under the companionway step. The fix is to use resin and build up a flat area for a gasket to seal to. Others have reported this as well.
Recently, a poster reported that his boat experienced water up to the seat cushions, found when returning to the boat after three months of winter. What happened is that the ballast valve was left open which generally isn't a problem... but the lake in which he was slipped rose significantly during the winter and the boat came up short on its dock lines and when the water line rose above the valve shaft hole, water entered the boat..
Some reports have been given of poor sealing of the valve do to bottom paint getting onto the valve surface.
- Check that the tank valve seals properly
- Check that the valve shaft seal is working as it should
- Ensure that dock lines have slack
- Enjoy a dry bilge