ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

[avanti enthusiast]

Hi, new too this forum , wondering just bought this 1988 bayliner avanti 2955 and it had 6- 5gallon pails of sand and close too 150 lbs of lead pigs (for lead joints plumbing) in the front of the bow. this boat is going in this spring in the hudson and i took all the weight out am i correct in thinking that the trim tabs should take care of leveling the boat? i dont want too push the boat further into the water do i, just never saw this before and no the trim tabs dont work at this point they will before i drop it in thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

The proper use of trim tabs and drive trim should take care of it. Unless the weight was put there for how the boat sits at the dock.
It may have been there to counter other things the previous owner had on the back of the boat.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

My last boat had a tendency to run bow high. Add 5-6 people to the cockpit and it ran very now high. Tabs worked to bring it down some, but it definitely could have been better. We tossed 150 lbs under the very front of the vberth (weights we had from the race cars) to see if/how it helped. Hardly noticeable but I believe the weights are still there even with the new owner.

The amount of weight you have sounds extreme but people sometimes will try and help the ride characteristics with it.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

The amount of weight you have sounds extreme but people sometimes will try and help the ride characteristics with it.

This is my guess as to why all the weight was in there. I know my old bowrider rode much better with someone riding in the bow. The amount of weight seems reasonable considering the size of the boat we're talking about here.

With working tabs, you shouldn't need it to achieve less bowrise and/or porpoising (do boats that big even porpoise?).

 

[25thmustang]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

I'm not sure upwards of 700 lbs of weight in the bow is reasonable for a 29' boat. It's not going to cause any issues but that's a good amount of weight to put up there.

 

[Pez Vela]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

am i correct in thinking that the trim tabs should take care of leveling the boat?

Not necessarily. The effect the tabs will have on the boat depends on its speed through the water, so you might not see the benefits you expect at slow speeds. Ballast added to the pointy end of the boat was intended to correct the boat's apparent deficiencies (as observed by the previous owner). It may have been added for any number of reasons: possibly to correct the running attitude at a given speed, or to solidify and smooth out the ride characteristics in a bumpy sea. I would have run the boat with the ballast to see how it performed. Now, you'll have to replace it, or be left ever to wonder, "What might have been?"

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

I'm not sure upwards of 700 lbs of weight in the bow is reasonable for a 29' boat. It's not going to cause any issues but that's a good amount of weight to put up there.

I was thinking it would equal more like 300lbs. Guess my estimation of how much a 5 gallon pail of sand weighs is not real accurate. I agree that 700 lbs of ballast would be excessive.

 

[NYBo]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

I agree completely with Pez Vela:

Not necessarily. The effect the tabs will have on the boat depends on its speed through the water, so you might not see the benefits you expect at slow speeds. Ballast added to the pointy end of the boat was intended to correct the boat's apparent deficiencies (as observed by the previous owner). It may have been added for any number of reasons: possibly to correct the running attitude at a given speed, or to solidify and smooth out the ride characteristics in a bumpy sea. I would have run the boat with the ballast to see how it performed. Now, you'll have to replace it, or be left ever to wonder, "What might have been?"

See you on the river!!

 

[25thmustang]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

I was thinking it would equal more like 300lbs. Guess my estimation of how much a 5 gallon pail of sand weighs is not real accurate. I agree that 700 lbs of ballast would be excessive.

I cheated and googled it. It said 88 lbs. now that's a LOT of sand in the front of a boat. A couple to a few hundred lbs is a good amount, but 650-700 is a whole bunch of weight. My opinion of course.

 

[rallyart]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

Throw another 2000# in the back and you are going to have a nice big wake for the wakeboard. (if you can get it clean)
It also helps sink it faster when you are going down. I think Don S had the right solution.

 

[avanti enthusiast]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

Thank you gentlemen, for all the responses , i am going too fix the trim tabs and not put the weight back in front , till i try the boat, also it has two 5.0 chevy motors in it with cobra drives need one outdrive by the way it was seized,going too start looking for one, and one post said that other owner may of had something on back of boat, looked today and saw 4 holes possibly a generator or cooler on swim platform, then weight would make sense,dont know previous owner passed away and boat sat for 2 years in a marina, anyway rewired new fuse blocks, in top panel in bathroom saw where old panel was under steering wheel ,poor place for fuses,when boats rocking, very excited about size of this thing,want too make sure everything works. and no guest switches with 2 batterys, need too change that too.
Its funny i have an older brother, that owned an old chriscraft same size and he said, dave u have too check all the wiring cause, you cant get out and walk. always remembered that. thanks dave

 

[25thmustang]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

Holes in the platform could have been for a dinghy davit. That could add a few hundred lbs to the stern, and may explain the added bow weight.

 

[cr2k]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

Please keep us posted on your boat.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: ballast in the front of my 1988 bayliner 2955

Have you checked for waterlogged materials such as foam below deck in the stern?

Yes, I know boats over 20' don't have to have foam for floatation, but some manufacturers use it for deck support and such.

You can see the foam in this old Bayliner starting in post #7.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...yliner-victoria-2781-restore-bust-570740.html