pure vert ballast

How does the ballast system work on a 2004 calabria pro v? Are there pumps?

We have a 2005 and it is just a switch to fill and empty. Not sure on the 2004 but I think it is the same. It takes just seconds to use. Is that what you were wondering?

Thanks, do you have t be stopped to fill and going to empty or does it matter. Is the intake on the back of the transom?

It is the Pure Vert system which is patented. It is just chambers in the boat hull which can be flooded quickly as they are below the waterline, and dump valves which can be activated to empty them quickly when the boat is underway. It instantly made all other ballast systems way too complicated and obsolete. Too bad every boat man. doesn't license it. There are probably good reasons why, dunno.

thanks for the info

PureVert is a gravity fed ballast system. No pumps. The boat needs to sit idle to flood the tanks. With two gate valves that are operated with a switch at the dash to open and close the gates. To empty one would open the valves and hit the gas. Once empty close the gates. Fills in 1-2 min. 30 sec. to empty.
The ballast is under the floor about midship. Around 700# ballast.

its wikkid cool

I have always wondered if you can feel the water slosh around or if you accelerate you end up with all the water at the back of the boat and super heavy in the back? How do you isolate a certain amount of weight forward with the pure vert system?

You don't feel a thing. No sloshing or movement probs. It isn't a forward or rear weight thing, it sinks the whole boat at the same time covering a good 2/3rds of the boat allowing for an even running profile.

It is a good/simple system. You however need at least 2 more full size sacs to make that boat really kick it up. I'd say a 600 in the bow and a couple 400s on either side of the engine.

From my understanding it uses pumps to fill. To drain is like described above.

There are no pumps. I looked it up in my paperwork. 2 - 3in valves in transom area are opened up and filled using gravity. To empty open it up and hit the gas!

My buddy has a Pro V and you can hear the pump filling. Hmmm Maybe I'm trippin?

Clubjoe ~ Help me out on this one!

From the Website directly...

"The standard PureVert™Wake System fills in under a minute and empties in 15 seconds adding 700 lbs. of water weight, NO PUMPS!"

When my buddy fills them I swear I can hear pumps.

Bug,

I'm sure maybe you're hearing the vent hole? I can hear that on my buddy's pro-v. but that's a much different sound than the pump whine.

so how does the water not slosh towards the back of the boat when in motion. You know what I mean?
I.E.
You fill up the tanks and then pull up a boarder, wouldn't perpetual motion push all the water to the back of the boat and make it back heavy? Or does it totally fill the entire cavity? Or is there a forward tank that fills and then closes independently?
Sounds cool and easy...

Completely fills b/c it's under the water line.Nothing to slosh back and forth.

at a constant speed, the water should not move at all. It's like standing on an airplane at 600mph, you dont get pushed to the back.

The only mechanical sounds are the gates opening, then it makes a slight howling noise as the air (which is being displaced by the water)vents overboard. It does sound like a quiet pump, but put your ear up to the ballast vent and you hear/feel that it's coming from there.

I don't own a Cal but ride in one from time to time and say that it works great! Because the weight is distro'd throughout the boat there is minimal bow rise, and it gets on plane faster. I wish I could afford one.

B

leo.... understood, but different concept
planes generally are level once they get to altitude... most boats have at least some bow rise. Put a marble on the floor of a plane or on the floor of a boat and you will see what I mean... or try standing up on a plane as it is taking off.... see where I was going?

So I assume it is recomended to fill the tanks all the way while in use? Does MB use the same set up?

Brian ~ I'll check it out next time I ride with my buddy.

hey Bug.... You're trippin'. Ha, ha, sorry bud. Nope, there aren't any pumps. You may be hearing the air being forced out of the tanks. It definitely makes some noise from the overflow when it is filling.

That system is amazing. It blows me away that none of the other manufacturers have adopted it. It's so quick and virtually free of parts to wear or cause problems.

Sorry Diggs, but I have to quote this:

"wouldn't perpetual motion push all the water to the back of the boat..."

Did Calabria and Mike Murphy figure out perpetual motion too??!

No pumps no mess, good system.

Whats fun to do is pull up on the trailer with the ballast full and then drain it as you pull away. The fisherman bug out on that one, I've been asked a few times if my boat was sinking out there.

thanks sean for pointing out my stupidity... That is why I was stating examples in my latter post....
I agree sounds like an awesome system, just trying to understand it...

MasterCraft does use the PureVert system on the X- Star. But they still pump in the water. Not sure if they couldn't get the system to work properly or not on the X-Star, reason for the pumps. And MB uses underfloor ballast with pumps. And now so does the VLX.

I have looked into the pure vert system and I think it could easily be adapted to the MB. The biggest point is the top of the tank needs to be below waterline parked and the valves need to be above wateline on plane. The MB would work perfectly, but Calabria has the patent on the system and they won't license it to anyone. I have looked into possibly adding it to my boat, but I was afraid of what it would do to the resale value, with two non-factory 3" holes in the transom. I'm not sure, but I think the reason the X-Star pumps it in is the tank is higher than waterline parked.
As for the water sloshing front to back MB uses baffles to reduce the weight moving so much. I would think others do to.

Hey Bug, just saw your post and went directly to reply......

The boat is gravity fill/empty. Air vent up front, big open/close valve under the step. when the valves are open to fill, water rushes in the back, and the air is pushed out the vent, which causes the whistling sound you may have thought was a motor.....(?)

To empty, open the same valves while under way, and the water runs out the back and sucks the air back into the vent holes. The only motors are the open/close valves........Sorry for the repeat if there is one.

I have an 05 Pro-v that I love. I bought it because of this system. I use two 600 lbs in the back lockers and the gas tank is up in the bow so I make sure to fill it. It's 60 gal so full that's over 300 add'l lbs. I have zero complaints with mine and would recommend it to ANYONE. My friends ride malibu's, supra's, nautique's and mine is just as good and holds more honey's (seating is 15 people)!! I wouldn't trade it straight across for any other brand. Bug, the whistling you're hearing is the vent holes. Only downside is I'm not sure where I'm going to put my sub's this year. Under the dash isn't deep enough and the heater vents run under there as well. If anyone knows of how their buddy's set theirs up please advise.

Ken there is plenty of room. Two 12's under passenger side and 10" under drivers side.