Ballast on a C-16 cruiser

J

jamato323

New member
Almost all my time aboard C-Buoy is solo. My ample presence starboard cause the boat to list so I've taken to one cheek on each seat piloting. Since that is both uncomfortable and unsafe I need another solution. The setup is an installed 13 gallon fuel tank center/port at the stern and 2 batteries starboard also in the stern. After searching this site for advice, I settled on a water storage ballast bag that will fit under the mate's seat and will provide 155 lbs to counterbalance the corpulent captain. Just ordered it and will let you know how it does.
http://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-fat-brick.html
 
That's something I find interesting in my CD22. with two passengers, they are both at the dinette, port side, with me at the helm. Definitely creates an imbalance of weight. I'd personally rather not add a ballast but instead balance the weight with useful items like the batteries and fuel if possible.

then again, if the water were potable, it could be considered useful, right? :beer
 
Yup, that can be a problem. You're right about the need for more weight on the port side (or,put another way, less weight on the starboard side.) First, consider getting a kicker, probably a 5hp (I'm guessing it's about 60lbs., and hang it on the port side of the transom. A 5hp Tohatsu would probably cost about $1200, would serve you not only as ballast, but, even more importantly, as a significant safety item. Several people with 16 cruisers have moved the batteries to the storage space under the port side seats. That would save you about 100 lbs and also open up storage for bulky light items like bumpers under the splashwell. Of course other alternatives include a 1) a companion and 2)diet, but I'm pretty sure you have considered those already. Good luck, let us know what you do.
 
You are a right, I have pondered diet but nahhhhhhh. Swim platform on port stern precludes kicker placement there. Plus it provides water entry for swimming exercise. Like the battery relocation suggestion but a lot of wiring rerouting.
Let's see what did I forget? Oh companion...got one hates water - a capricon.
 
jimicliff":8v2tvx5k said:
I'm in a 16 cruiser and trim tabs take care of the trim issue while under way
Click to expand...
Appreciate your advice. I saw some Bennett self actuating tabs on the net and would consider them to avoid wiring and switches. Do you have experience with this type?
 
Don't know who made them they came with the boat but I would not do without them it's that simple.
It's like flying with engine tilt and the left and right tabs you can trim the boat out perfectly
 
I would avoid the "self activation" tabs. You have no control, and in a few cases it could be dangerous. The electric Lenco are fairly easy to install, and there is no "Plumbing".
 
jamato323":19d88ejo said:
Almost all my time aboard C-Buoy is solo. My ample presence starboard cause the boat to list so I've taken to one cheek on each seat piloting. Since that is both uncomfortable and unsafe I need another solution. The setup is an installed 13 gallon fuel tank center/port at the stern and 2 batteries starboard also in the stern. After searching this site for advice, I settled on a water storage ballast bag that will fit under the mate's seat and will provide 155 lbs to counterbalance the corpulent captain. Just ordered it and will let you know how it does.
http://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-fat-brick.html
Click to expand...

Those two batteries mounted in the starboard stern quarter have me concerned. Usually, CD 16's have their batteries mounted in the center stern area with 6.5 gallon fuel tanks on either side. The CD 16 is very sensitive to excess weight in the stern. Look at how much the boat rolls when one steps into the stern. I'm no lightweight either at 250 pounds. Do you really need two batteries in the starboard stern quarter? Those batteries are really throwing your boat off balance. Sure -- to a limited degree, the large fuel tank offsets the batteries, but that's only when the tank is full. Having two batteries in the starboard stern quarter is like having a 9.9 HP 4 Stroke kicker mounted on your stern. To compensate for my heftiness when I had a CD 16, I mounted a kicker on the port stern transom and carried a spare AGM dual purpose battery under the port copilot seat, which balanced the boat quite nicely. I honestly don't think adding weight is the answer, rather, I recommend experimenting with weight distribution first, and if need be, you can always install trim tabs. I'm also concerned that if you ever have a passenger join you, and leave the ballast in place, you could overload the boat. Many people on this site have suggested in the past that it is O.K. to exceed the rated capacity of the CD 16 -- I flatly disagree. I loved the stability of the CD 16 with normal loads, and felt extremely unsafe when I exceeded capacity. It felt particularly unsafe when too much weight was located at the stern.

Rich
 
"Those two batteries mounted in the starboard stern quarter have me concerned. Usually, CD 16's have their batteries mounted in the center stern area with 6.5 gallon fuel tanks on either side. The CD 16 is very sensitive to excess weight in the stern."

Rich: I am in total agreement about stern weight but his is the way the boat came to me. I like the concept of dual batteries with switch but agree the boat is simply too tender as she is presently loaded. Even on plane, it lists to starboard with my 230 lbs. and combined with the torque of the prop it is unstable. My initial plan was to modify the weight imbalance at the helm while still staying below the recommended maximum weight of the craft. Then I thought Naticus self actuating trim tabs could be a solution but don't know how they could act independently to correct the list and the cost of electric tabs is prohibitive for me right now. I'm planning to call Nauticus today.
 
"I'm planning to call Nauticus today."
I just spoke with Nauticus up in Ohio. The tech said that the self actuators should work to solve my problem. They have five stiffness settings and can be independently adjusted to account for the added weight on the starboard side. So I'm going to give them a try. I report back to this thread how I make out. As usual I'm very grateful for the thoughtful and sage advice on this forum.
 
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