3080 Lbs of ballast bad for boat? and best setup

[Yamaha242lsdallas]

I just picked up a few more bags and now have a total of 3080 lbs. I know there are some here that use that much weight on their boats so my question is will all that weight hurt the boat in certain spots?

My setup is 800 under port seat all the way to the back (moved batteries over to make room)
- 800 on rear transom seats
- A 540 port and 400 starboard on the floor right over the gas tank cover pushed against the rear seats (worried about this much weight on the battery compartment cover)
- 540 on the floor all the way to the front of the boat

I was going to put the 400 on the front of the boat but with all the weight towards the back the boat still would cavitate a bit trying to take off.

Anyone have issues with the weight hurting the boat long term?

Also anyone with my type of boat (242 LS) find a way to lengthen the wave for surfing? We get a big wake, I can even do a transom start with no rope but I want it longer. I'm thinking of moving the 400 bag over the ski locker but not sure it will make much difference.

Thoughts?

 

[buckbuck]

I was initially thinking of responding by saying you don't need that much weight but doing a transom start without the rope has me quite jealous.
I was pleased to find that I can surf our stock 212X with just 400 lbs in the port ballast, 500 lbs of people and a Wedge. All in 5-6' of water. Do you have a Wake Wedge? I am not sure how much it lengthens the wave but it certainly shapes it better.
Cavitation will have a tendency to erode the impellor. Have you considered re-pitching them?
You are probably on the far side of the spectrum for weighted Yamaha's. I hope we can hear from those who have gone as far as you have.

 

[jetboater4life]

To get a longer wave you need more weight up front. I put 450 under starboard front, fill my bow middle storage locker which is probably another 400, put another 700 on the swim deck, and fill the my standard 212x ballast. If I go more than that I have trouble getting up on plane without moving more people up front.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Which side is the 800 on the transom on? I would move it over to the none surf side. I had the same issue and I found out I was listing my boat so much that I wasn't using my starboard jet like I should have. Moved my transom bag from the port side to the starboard side and it fixed my issue.

 

[Yamaha242lsdallas]

Here are some test shots of my setup from a few days ago...

Ballast in the boat set like this to try and lengthen the wave out:

I also have 800# bag under the port rear seat and another 800# on the transom seat pushed over to the port side.

Wave shape with this setup:

It seems to have lengthened out the wave a bit but not as high as it was when shorter, still high but hard to see in these photos.

To give an idea of usable wave length (for me at 220 lbs, someone more experienced and smaller may have more room to play):Close as i get to boat:

Furthest i can get back without losing the wave:

Midwave to give better idea of wave height, was about thigh high or maybe a little more:

 

[jcyamaharider]

That's a lot of bags!! Wave looks decent though.

 

[Yamaha242lsdallas]

HaHa It is!! I figure whatever I can do with the weight I already have is going to have to be good enough, I don't want to add more weight. Your wave looks bigger in your avatar but hard to tell, I'm 6'4" and at almost waist high I'm not sure I can get it higher.

I'll probably redo with placing the 400 side-by-side to the rear 540 bag and see the difference from the photos I took here. The only issue I don't like is it will cavitate a little if I try to start to fast. Well also shorten the wave a little, but should be higher too.

 

[davel501]

Where do you run? I was thinking about threads like this when I read this post: http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2015/october/boat-wake-damage-liability.asp

 

[Yamaha242lsdallas]

Where do you run? I was thinking about threads like this when I read this post: http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2015/october/boat-wake-damage-liability.asp

I hardly think the wake I could ever put out would be more then a purpose built wake boat. And where ever I surf I always take the proper precautions/courtesy to others around me.

Bit of an odd question but I appreciate the concern..

 

[davel501]

I hardly think the wake I could ever put out would be more then a purpose built wake boat. And where ever I surf I always take the proper precautions/courtesy to others around me.

Bit of an odd question but I appreciate the concern..

Not really odd at all. The purpose-built wake boats will set up a wake that is pretty tall. Wonder who is responsible if another boater runs into that. You would think it would be visible.