Ballast control . .

[tattoo]

I often sail alone and try to anticipate safty issues that can be avoided. What about "shifting ballast" in the event of a knock down? Or, more rarely (or even unlikely), an 180 degree roll over? The ballast in my PocketShip is stowed under the floor planks between floors 4 & 5. In a knock down (starboard tack), the port-side ballast would slide out to port restrained by the chine and the floor planks. Not much of a problem. But much of the starboard-side ballast might fall out through the lift-out sections of the floor planks. That would put a lot of the ballast on the low side and inhibit the righting forces. And the worst case would be an 180 degree roll over. Such a roll over would be very unlikely, but if it happened, much or all the ballast would fall out through the lift-out sections.

There's a fairly easy prevention that I've just installed on Tattoo, my PocketShip. I installed a "ballast restraining" baffle between floors 4 & 5 just at the inboard edge of the 5th floor plank to keep ballast close to the keel. To keep ballast under the floor boards, I installed a "ballast cover plate" that slips through the lift-out section opening and is "fixed" with a 1.25" #8 SS FHWS placed through the 4th floor plank and into the cover plate. The "ballast restraining" baffle is screwed to cleats (screwed to the floors) at the edge of the 5th floor plank and is not easily removed. But the "ballast cover plate" is easily removed for access to the ballast.

The cleats are 3/4" x 1" stock. The baffles and cover plates are left-over 1/4" marine plywood w/ 2 coats of epoxy.

Tattoo's ballast is melted down wheel balancing weights contributed by a truck tire service center. I used a cast iron mold for "cornbread sticks." Each cornbread shapped ingot of lead weighs about 1.1 lb. Nine fit into heavy duty zip-lock bags. I use two bags for each cluster of 9 ingots. Presently, since I often sail solo, I have 11 bags on each side of the centerboard. That takes up almost all the space under the floor boards and between the centerboard housing and the baffle installed at the edge of the 5th floor plank.

The photos show how it all goes together.

[DanaDCole]

Great idea--I would think it should be added to the plans even though it appears that knockdowns in this boat are extremely rare. PocketShip builders are too intelligent to get themselves into a situation that would cause a knockdown I guess --so far I have failed to find any report of such an event.

At any rate, I'd like to suggest a small modification to "Tattoo's" plan. It could conceivably get wet in the bilges from time to time--companionway door left open during rain, that sort of thing. So I think the poster-board chafing pads might eventually disintegrate. Sheet rubber is easily found and I think would do the job nicely while also being impervious to water. Should also provide a little more cushion to the hull panels.

Also, I really don't understand going to all the trouble of molding those little "corn" ingots, especially from tire-balancing weights which are loaded with impurities you have to boil off--unless it is to save money. Compared to the overall cost of building the boat, the cost of a few bags of lead shot would be miniscule, and would be a lot easier on the lungs. I think it might be possible to distort the bags the shot comes in enough to fit them into the ballast compartments intact. Just a thought.

[DanaDCole]

Small correction: I guess I should have looked at the manual before that last post. I see that it recommends bags of lead shot and that they fit without "distortion." Even though it states they will stay in place up to 100 degrees of heel, I still think Tattoo has a good idea and plan to incorporate it. No one has experienced a roll-over yet to my knowledge, but I suppose anything could happen in a freaky sudden storm of some sort, especially nowadays.