HOC member login

Message Board

Message board > Navigation & sea worthiness > Ballast in Family Pilot 20

Message 5 of 5
Posted by member Nicholas Duffin on Thursday 4 July 2013

The water tank sounds a great idea. I have however found out why all the sand was there. The balance point of the two wheel trailer is too far forward and without the sand the ball hitch points skyward! I have moved most of the sand out of the boat and onto the trailer. I will move the bow support further forward which should eliminate the sand. Regards Nicholas

Add your comment

Message 4 of 5
Posted by member Simon Kidd on Thursday 13 June 2013

Clive Great idea and one used for fast powerboats!! You'll not risk running low on water either! Best Regards Simon.

Add your comment | ^Top

Message 3 of 5
Posted by member Clive ffitch on Sunday 26 May 2013

Hi Nicholas, Simon Just read this one and realised we may have another solution as used by a number of others. We have installed a Plastimo (remember them?) 120L water tank in the bow locker, which neatly supplies the forward ballast you may be looking for. It also moves the large lump of water from being ballast further aft, and is also adjustable by weight as needed - or not! Seems a good way forward for us, and we will wait and see how much water in the tank we like best - after all, 120L is a veritable large person's-worth of weight. Easier to pump out than sand as well! Best regards, Clive

Add your comment | ^Top

Message 2 of 5
Posted by member Simon Kidd on Tuesday 19 March 2013

Hi Nicholas, I used to have a River Pilot used in the Channel Islands - she had no ballast at all and ran fine, though with a 50hp engine - much lighter. Do you have the Fourstroke 80hp - about 175kg? I sometimes find one or two bags of sand in Pilots, though often none at all - a little weight forward is said to help with low speed handling - I can understand this at river speed, but lugging six sacks of sand around in the bow at higher speed must be costing you fuel. I can only guess this large amount of sand was added to try to keep the bow down when planing? If so, then Trim tabs would likely prove a better alternative - or re-riging the engine may help. I'm just in the process of setting up a Bosun 20 with a 75Hp honda - with no intention to add ballast - we shall see the results. I'm expecting bows up - just like my Navigator - so expect I'll fit tabs in the future for sea use. Best Regards Simon.

Add your comment | ^Top

Message 1 of 5
Posted by member Nicholas Duffin on Tuesday 19 March 2013

My Pilot 20 with a Mercury 80 motor has six polythene sacks of builders sand in the bow. It seems rather a lot. What is the normal weight of balast in these boats? Regards Nicholas

Add your comment | ^Top

You must be logged in to post to the Hardy Motor Boat Owners Club message board. Click here to login in. If you’re not yet a HOC member then why not join us today?