Added ballast in rear locker on 21.5 LSV

[Jim11]

I have a 21.5 LSV with factory-added 3 ballast (500 midship, 200 hard tanks each rear locker). I use a 500 lb fat sac in rear locker when surfing - works well. There is a sticker warning against extra ballast in rear locker. is this a concern for hull integrity (lots of weight in one area) or just concern over seaworthiness due to lots of weight at stern? Also, is there an easy way to plumb in automatic pump system for collapsible sac controlled from dash like other ballast tanks? Like tying into existing hard tank fill, empty and vent hoses, just adding Y valves and extra pumps?

[Bake's Marine]

I have a 21.5 LSV with factory-added 3 ballast (500 midship, 200 hard tanks each rear locker). I use a 500 lb fat sac in rear locker when surfing - works well. There is a sticker warning against extra ballast in rear locker. is this a concern for hull integrity (lots of weight in one area) or just concern over seaworthiness due to lots of weight at stern? Also, is there an easy way to plumb in automatic pump system for collapsible sac controlled from dash like other ballast tanks? Like tying into existing hard tank fill, empty and vent hoses, just adding Y valves and extra pumps?

Jim11,

Depending on what year your boat is, putting the extra weight probably doesn't matter if your out of warranty. Malibu is more concerned about deforming the ballast tank (dip in the floor) or damaging the hard tank under the floor more than anything. Your never going to damage the structure with the extra weight back there and most likely never damage the tank. The guys at Moeller (the manufacture of the tank) showed us how durable the tanks are and if i owned the boat I wouldn't be worried one bit. (FYI your rear hard tanks are 250lbs)

We came up with a valve system so you shared your factory system, made it faster to fill the bag but kept it functional. Some systems that piggy back your factory system basically fill your bag off of the overflow vent from the hard tank take forever to fill and forever to drain (unless something changed that i don't know of) but it seems like people try to plumb the vent in first then have us change it over to valve or plumb in the bag with its own separate fill/drain switch (no valve) just because it is so much faster.

Hope this info helps you out, there is a diagram on that link i sent you that shows the valve system we like to do.

-Paul