Dealing with Bunk Blocking Ballast Intake?

[JDRacing]

I've read a post or two from other members commenting on the ballast intake which sits right on a bunk board. My new 2018 212X is like that for the rear tanks. At least I assume that's where the intake is, because otherwise I sure as heck can't find it. The ski locker ballast bag intake is inboard of a bunk and is accessible.

Lake Tahoe, as others have reported, is "extremely particular" (a euphemism) about decontaminating ballast tanks. Talking to one of the officials today by telephone (she was actually really responsive, helpful and friendly), ballast decontamination is required even if the boat is otherwise clean and thoroughly dry. My boat will spend a significant time on Tahoe as well as other lakes in Northern California, all of which are "clean" lakes. Tahoe is the only place in this area that goes to the this length on ballast tanks I believe.

So my question is whether anyone has come up with a (relatively) easy workaround to access the intake for the rear tanks for flushing/decontamination with the boat on the trailer? I was thinking about a couple of inline "T's" in each of the intake lines just downstream of the intake seacock. The stem of the T would have a ballcock valve (or diverter valve) on it which would stay shut until ready to flush, maybe with an easily removable cap. To flush/decontaminate, hook up the hose to the T stem, shut the seacock, open the valve on the T, and the inspector can fill the tank with their 140 degree decontaminating water. I assume the water would go right by the Water Puppy pump, or if there's not enough pressure, run the pump manually. Pump it out when done.

Anybody tried anything like this? Or maybe come up with something better/easier? Be even better if that intake through-hull were located 4" to either side.

Jeff

 

[Cambo]

I have been reviewing the bunk location as well it just looks problematic to have the through hull fitting on the bunk the stress placed on that can not be good . There is an imprint on the carpeting from the lip on the fitting . It is not completely covered only half way the bunks are adjustable on the trailer going wider it will hit the step on the hull . The bunk could be re shaped with an electric plainer . Or I will attempt to put a notch in the bunk and reshape it so that it is not creating the issue . No problem with contamination in salt water but I want to winterize the system . If a hose could be wedged into the through hull fitting and a tray placed below that some anti freeze was in, or in your case the hot water maybe it could be sucked into the system. I have created a jumper wire that can be plugged into each pump plug for power . My son may make a few kits so if others would like to jump the pumps it makes it easy to manually fill and empty . In your case they could put the hot water in the tray and you could energize the pump suck it in then reverse the polarity and empty it.

 

[JDRacing]

Looks like we're both trying to accomplish the same thing for different reasons.

Unlike the 242, on my 212 the through-hull is completely buried in the bunk; can't see any of it. I assume it has a plastic grate on it like the ski locker ballast through-hull, but at this point the only way I'll know for sure is by getting wet. I also have a hull step preventing the bunks from moving wider. And I don't have much room to go narrower either.

Modifying the bunks is a possibility, but since it's more than a mere reshaping on my boat and I'd have to cut a hole in the bunk, I'm not even sure I could mark it accurately. I would likely end up with a pretty big hole since the boat probably won't land in exactly the same place on the trailer each time. I'm still thinking in my case I'm better off tapping into the hoses coming off the seacock

Great idea to jump the Water Puppies--avoids having to run an engine to pump and drain, among other things. Please put me down for a kit if you decide to put one together, and I'll be your first customer. I'm thinking maybe I could adapt a reversing switch with an old school Radio Shack small project box and a DPDT, center-off switch as well.

I found the Yamaha parts page for the three ballast tanks, and it couldn't be simpler. There's no one-way valves anywhere in the system. It simply fills each tank from the bottom and overflows on each side of the boat though an open vent at the top of the tank. It empties by draining the water out the same way it came in, via the through-hull below the water line, by reversing the pumps. Nothing fancy.

Jeff

 

[jpkl]

Good stuff guys, I'm watching your thread to see if either of you has progressed with the ideas you've proposed. Just bought our 2018 242X four weeks ago and trying to figure out how to deal with the bags/pumps also; unfortunately, it has been hospitalized three of those weeks now due to the junk brake actuator release on the Shoreland'r trailer it is sitting on.

 

[Julian]

Couldn't you just have them pump the hot water in through the over flow, then add a drain valve between the pump and the tank and just drain the water into the bilge?

 

[JDRacing]

That's an interesting idea I didn't consider. But, since I had to cut into a tube somewhere anyway, I ended up putting a valve between the through hull and the starboard Water Puppy with a T with a garden hose adapter allowing me to drain and fill each tank by jumping the appropriate pump. I will post a picture of of the contraption when I get a chance. Just close off the through hull, open the valve I installed, and the non-energized pump acts as a valve preventing that tank from filling while I drain or fill the other one.

 

[swatski]

I didn’t think factory ballast was vented?
The center locker bag is not, right?

—

 

[JDRacing]

Both hard tanks are vented. The center soft bag is not.

 

[Matt Phillips]

On the 242 when going through mussel inspection at Tahoe, they simply attach one hot water hose to one engine, and then tape another to the inlet on the bottom. They then begin filling the bags as they pump 140 degree water into one engine. Then when it comes time to drain, we switch over to the other engine.

This process doesn't totally fill the bags, nor empty them and typically requires me to calibrate the bags again once out on the lake.

I'd be totally open to a way to do this without having to run the engines and to simply fill and drain the bags...even if I could drain the bags via a valve into the bilge and then out the drain.

 

[JDRacing]

@Matt Phillips, @Cambio sells a nifty adapter which attaches to your battery and plugs into the Water Puppies allowing drain and fill without starting the engines and without dealing with the Connext drain/fill/recalibration process.

Search his posts and you will find details.

 

[Matt Phillips]

Thanks. I'll reach out to @ Cambio

 

[Wisefam22]

If they have some 6x6 posts you can lift back end of boat with trailer tie down cleats via heavy duty tie straps...

@Betik posted video on ability to reposition boat on trailer by doing this.

I am not sure where you need to go to have the tanks inspected/drained.

If you can lift 2 inch or so off bunk could fill/drain fire inspection.

 

[Betik]

I am not how this might help, but here is the video.
As long as you have a pergola and 2 heavy duty straps you can get the boat off the bunks in less than 10 minutes. Note that my objective here was to "slide" the boat. If you want to just lift, you need to center the boat lift point and where the straps are attached too.

Note: it might be even faster if you put a jack underneath and use the straps to balance the boat so it does not tip left or right.

 

[JDRacing]

Very cool and creative. Just not sure how keen the officials at the Tahoe inspection stations would be on me building a pergola on-site so they could get to the through-hull with their hot water decontamination attachments.

 

[Betik]

@JDRacing maybe if you build the pergola by the inception station and then promising not to take it with you after the interception is done.!!!!!

 

[JDRacing]

Hahahaha!

 

[Wisefam22]

Wasnt sure of area but if they had some type of structure could try and do something like that to give them access.

If all the lakes are clean and you went through it at one lake, why would you need to do it again if went to another near by lake?

What do they do with life jackets? Spray those down also?

 

[JDRacing]

Wasnt sure of area but if they had some type of structure could try and do something like that to give them access.

If all the lakes are clean and you went through it at one lake, why would you need to do it again if went to another near by lake?

What do they do with life jackets? Spray those down also?

Tahoe is unique. After they inspect you they put a thin wire lock on your boat from the bow loop to the trailer, and you break it/cut it to launch the boat on the lake-they have officials at every ramp to make sure the lock is there. Then when you come off the lake, they put another wire on it so that you don't have to go through inspection again the next time you launch on Tahoe. But if you show up to the ramp without a wire lock they turn you away and send you back to the inspection station, which is probably 15 miles away depending where you are trying to launch. No other lake requires that, that I know of.

So long as your life jackets are dry at the inspection station, I don't think they care. But if you show up with a soggy life jacket, I assume they spray it down.

Don't know what they do if your kids are soggy.

 

[Cambo]

Link to jumper cable .

The 18 should be similar to the 17 that I have confirmed will work . PM me if interested

https://jetboaters.net/threads/ballast-pump-jumper-cable.19754/