The oft discussed outboard extra ballast revealed

[Rico]

C-227 I have the exact same lead Pig. My bilge is fully glassed and is fairly shallow - and dry...

I like the stiffness of the boat and had not considedred taking it out...

[Commander227]

I like the stiffness of the boat and had not considedred taking it out...

My wife is also a fan of a stiff boat, as would I be if I was sailing in the conditions you've been sailing in for the last few weeks, But 227 is doomed to a fate of sailing on an inland lake. Also, with my converting to an electric inboard, If I'm going to have an extra 500 lbs of lead ballast on board I'd like it to be swimming in acid and doubling as fuel.

[Commander227]

(Commander Compensator removal)
I know it wasn't hurting anybody... but dang it irked me knowing it was down there on those days with drifting conditions. On heavy days I can always throw in a reef.
It had to go!!
The process;
First I cut the fiberglass tape holding it in place.
Being the compensator was wider than the hatches and 500lbs pretty unmanageable I cut it in half lengthwise with a saws-all. The notch down the middle made it pretty easy, although I had to lift and pry it back and forth to finish the cut between the hatches.
To get the halves out I had to slide them back to the deeper section of the bilge and lift the front of the pig out of the aft hatch. I used a stout piece of steel square stock accross the companionway and my vang. I ended up having to throw in a cascade to get 8:1 as I could not get it to budge with 4:1.
Scrap lead is at $.42/lbs, so now I'm looking for some $215 shiny thing to bolt on the princess.

[Commander 147]

My electric drive will have 500 lbs of batteries and getting that 500 lbs out would bring me back to even. I had wondered how to cut it and now I guess I have me answer. Thanks for posting that. I'm especially happy to know it will come out without cutting up the floor.

[Tony G]

Mike, you are a wild man. I'd like to spend a spell in your shop. There always seems to be something good going on there.

[Triton106]

I have been very curious about the extra ballast on Ariels/Commanders. Too bad C-227 is not near the SF Bay Area. I have a Triton and have been contemplating ADDING ballast (about +/- 300 lbs). Does anyone in the SF Bay Area have extra-ballast that want to sell? I am willing to pay more than what the recycling centers will pay.

Ray
Blossom - Triton 106
Alameda, California