Adding simple sand bags for ballast?

Hi:

I have a sterndrive Bowrider (175 HP) and want some ballast to improve the wake (newbie rider).

I have been checking into Fat Sac, but can one just take some bags of sand and put them in the ski locker etc?

Also, where are the best points to put ballast (Fat Sacs or sand bags) in the boat?

Thanks in advance.

Marshall (Toronto)

I would say to start with the bow and through some weight up there since I/O boats tend to have alot of bow rise with no weight. They recommend 60% weight in back 40% weight up front

Advantage of FatSac: You don't have to tow the weight when getting to and from ride spot.

Advantage of Sand: You can get small bags and hide them everywhere.

I've done both and wouldn't recommend towing 800lbs of sand very far!

You mean ghetto ballast, don't recommend it.

^^you don't recommend a bigger wake?? WTF is wrong with you??

sand - get construction grade bags.
concrete - toss a bag or two where you need it. Wrap it in a trash bag.
steel - 45 lb\ plates fit nicely under a seat.
lead - mom and pop tire shops will still sell it to ya, depending on where you are. Melt it down or put it in a small bag.

Keep an eye on the classifieds. Lots of sacs for sale.

Be careful with loading lots of sand, lead, and steel into your boat. The benefit of fat sacs are, if you swamp your boat, water in the sacs is naturally buoyant, steel and lead will take you to the bottom...

You can also put your ballast weight in PVC pipes with end caps, less likely to leak and they're easy to get hold of and throw over the side if you get into trouble. Of course it may cost you more than sand bags.

Oh yeah and for an I/O it's more like 60 front 40 back. Try to get it sitting neutral and then play with it from there.

Nacho when you get out of your meth lab we can get you some real ballast.

When I first started riding, we had an older 18' SeaRay. We kept it on Lake Washington & had maybe 500 or 600 lbs of sand bags on board. We didn't have a huge wake but it definitely made an improvement, and didn't cost squat. I rarely towed the boat more than 20 miles & 600 lbs of extra weight never made any difference on the trailer. Lead or steel would do the same job too.

The PITA about using sand is that it will work its way out of the bag & into every crevice in your boat. Seal them good or you will be shop vaccing the boat out forever.

The good thing about it, like Eric mentioned, you can fit it in places in an I/O that a fat sac won't fit, ie; under the seats, in the transom, etc.

Ghetto or not, it works. Weight any boat too much, whether it be sand, lead or water, you can run into problems quickly. Weight your boat smart, and learn the fundamentals. When you get on other boats with bigger wakes, good skills will take you a lot further.

yea....and when the oil company d-bags stop rapin' everybody, we can all get some "real" ballast....thanks for playin' nu bu.....

Ran 400lbs of sand in duffel bags as a temporary solution in my old Ski Nautique. That temp solution lasted two years. These days I use built in ballast, pop bags, fat sacs, and body weight... it's a combo.

eric you have no idea.

nubu, you're just butthurt bitch.

You can also get a 5 gallon bucket and a big rubbermaid container. Line the rubbermaid container with the biggest trash bag you can find and pour water into the trash bag lined rubbermaid until the container is nearly full. Take the top of the trash bag, twist it a few times and put a twistie tie on it. It will add hundreds of pounds and you just need to supply a few bucks for bags. You probably already have a big rubbermaid container or two around the house, and a bucket as well. It takes a little elbow grease, but look at it as prepping for the pull of the boat.

I have done this and it worked very well.

Now THAT is ghetto ballast.

I'm thinking you're the butthurt one here, and obviously the little bitch.

I tried this to see if ballast helped and where to place them. I went to lowes and bought 300lbs of sand. I wrapped each 50lb bag of sand in a 55gal trash bag and taped em up. I then placed 100lbs in the locker and 100 on each side in the rear. Definite difference. I decided I wanted fat sacs and I took the sandbags to lowes for a refund since I was building my "kids playground" and didnt end up needing the last 6 bags I just recently purchased lol...lowes has a 90 day refund policy woot woot... I then went out and bought 2 V drive twins (350lb each) and put one in the locker and the other goes under the bow filler cushion....Sand is good to test with, but I agree with everybody, it isnt fun to tow around all day long when you can just empty and drain in a matter of minutes...700lbs def makes a difference. Get ppl to sit in the front with the ballast too and put the weight in the front and it planes quicker and doesnt want to rise up as much...you will tell a difference. 700lbs from middle to front and then engine in the back. 60% in front and 40% in back is a good rule of thumb for I/O's...mine at least is like that..

haha!! only little bitches (like you) start shat on the internet about making the wake bigger! get a fvckin life!!

Marshall, I was just tryin to help! you may have to try again on your thread. print this out, before it's gets nuked. Maybe you won't have so many butthurt little bitches post up on your next!!

this is hilarious!

Oh ok nacho, wasn't starting chit. You're a little uptight about the ghetto ballast. Guess the comment hit a little to close to home for you. Yes I like ballast to answer your question, just not that ghetto a$$ crap. If you can afford a boat, you don't need to be throwing concrete or sandbags in the damn thing.

It takes a big man to sit behind a keybboard and call someone a little bitch, congrats nacho I'm officially scared of you.

wrong.

"Nacho when you get out of your meth lab we can get you some real ballast."

This is classic little bitch stuff BTW.

That methlab comment was probably out of line and for that I appologize.

Hurrah, group hug!

hahaha this is really entertaining

anyway i REALLY think its a good idea to get bags of quickcrete and put them in your boat...........

oh, dont worry if any water gets on them youll be fine

Just an idea...
Do you know anyway to get a couple of fat chicks?

(Message edited by wesley_is_wake on August 15, 2008)

I always wanted a Black Lab but I couldn't afford one... Then I wanted a Golden Lab but I couldn't afford it either....




But now I have a Meth lab and can buy any damn thing I want.....