Launched the boat! One question though...

Posted By: Ken
Date: 6/17/08 9:49p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: that's ~1 psi per 2 feet of water (Seth Dabney, 2023-C, Oxford, MS)

I put the boat in the water last night and all went really well. The ballast tank looked good, and it was fairly easy to inspect using the hole opening I mentioned. One thing I noticed that was puzzling - when I first launched the boat I kept the ballast intake screw closed (i.e. the screw/valve to let in water - I'm not sure of the correct name...) and the stopper plug in place. I wanted to keep the ballast tank empty in the near term while I docked in my slip at the marina. I motored for a while to reach the marina with the ballast tank empty and noticed that some water came up into the shaft that contains the screw (i.e. the shaft that runs from the bottom of the ballast tank to the bottom of the hull with the screw running down the middle). The water only came up to the level of the bottom of the ballast tank floor, and did not rise above that. I assumed the forward motion of the boat under power may have forced a little water past the seal at the bottom of the boat and into the shaft. My initial concern was that I had a bad seal and it would continue to take on water even though the valve was closed (and not stop!). I left the ballast tank empty and checked the the boat several hours later and the water had not risen above the top of the screw shaft - so all appears to be OK. If what I wrote makes any sense to anybody, do you know if this is normal? Cheers, Ken