Building ballast tanks

(gary_in_ia) · (gary_in_ia) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 07-25-2005, 8:37 PM

I'm looking to build some ballast tanks for my 93 Sport Nautique. I'm thinking of using fiberglass panels and glassing the corners. Has anyone done this? What did you use for the panels?

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 07-25-2005, 9:47 PM

Do a search for Jason Black. He has a company that builds balast tanks. They are all welded plastic. They are super trick he can build one to meet your specks. His company is called black line industrys. They are out of Chico California

alanp 07-26-2005, 8:06 AM

i had stainless steel tanks built. i know it doesnt answer your question but its another option good luck and post some pics. i did mine completely pumpless. using a scoop to fill(in under 5 minutes) and gravity to drain. if this is something youre interested in doing send me an email.

(tazz) · (tazz) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 07-26-2005, 9:06 AM

Grant

I can't find a number for Jason Black and Black Line Industries. I'm looking at doing hard tanks for my v-210 and would like to talk to him. Do you have any contact info?

wakecastle 07-26-2005, 4:26 PM

I thought about using RV water tanks. They are very sturdy and shaped perfect for most boats. What do you all think?

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pumps-water/small-plastic-water-tank.htm

(gary_in_ia) · (gary_in_ia) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 07-26-2005, 7:02 PM

Phil,
I'm considering tanks like those to place in some areas. But I'm mainly wanting tanks to fit under the side rails of boat and I haven't found any stock tanks that will fit.

(srh00z) · (srh00z) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 07-26-2005, 7:13 PM

I used RV tanks 40 gallons on each side of my DD engine box and built a new bench to go over the top of each of them, they also have fittings that you can use PVC hardware with. I bought mine off of ebay, they work great.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 07-26-2005, 8:21 PM

I know his company was in Chico California, Called BlackLine Industry's sorry thats all I know.

He also posted about a swim deck he made out of plastic for his SAN try searching for Swim Deck threads Im sure you will find him

(tazz) · (tazz) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 07-27-2005, 9:14 AM

The website for blackline is www.blacklinemfg.com

(rodmcinnis) · (rodmcinnis) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 07-27-2005, 12:23 PM

If you can make use of a rectangular tank then I would recommend plastic.

A couple of years ago I wanted to add a second fresh water tank to my houseboat. I could sling it underneath the deck, between the pontoons so length and width were pretty flexible but I didn't have much height. I found a perfect tank out of an online catalog: 115 gallons. I called the company up, fully expecting to get the brush off but was really surprised when they jumped right on it!

The company was Ronco Plastics in California. They actually charged me a lot LESS than the prices in their online catalog and I had the tank in about a week.

Check out their website: http://www.ronco-plastics.com/

You just have to select one of their stock sizes. The tanks, as they sit in their warehouse, have no fitting on them at all. You get to say exactly where you want what fittings and they install them. So sort out what size you want, where you want the fittings and call them up.

Suggestion for you: Throw a couple of extra fitting in! Like an extra vent and extra drain. It is trivial to have the extra fittings added ahead of time, but if you decide later that you needed and extra fitting (or wanted to run the plumbing a different way) adding them later is not so easy.....