convert ski locker to ballast tank

I've got a direct drive and was wondering if anyone as ever converted the ski locker (96 Malibu Sunsetter) into a ballast tank. I know they make bags to fit in there, but it seems like I could just fill the compartment and seal it off. Anyone done this? How much weight does it add?

you better be careful, the gas tank may be under there and you migght crush it.

I'd put a bag in there and rig it from there. Filling parts of your boat with large ammounts of water that isn't contained should be avoided at all costs.

I have the same boat. I just use a ski locker bag. I mounted the pump in the engine compartment under the ski pylon behind the black panel and plumed the hoses into the ski locker. Some people have fiber glassed a divider in the ski locker to make a small compartment and mounted the pump in there. I looked at sealing the locker actually crawled into the locker to check it out. You would have to seal the top of the locker where it meets the floor because there are small gaps in places between the floor and locker top; I verified it with an air gun. You would also have to relocate the battery wires as they run from the observer’s storage compartment into the locker on the way to the engine compartment. It is doable but a lot of work an d it really needs to be sealed and contained and don't really think it is worth it.

(Message edited by wakemann on August 28, 2009)

(Message edited by wakemann on August 28, 2009)

Just use a ski locker bag from wakemakers.com

You can get 350 lbs down there.

Benton.
I use a couple 5 gallon plastic jerry cans filled with lead in my locker. A gallon of lead weighs around 113# , so my cans are not full all the way, and I think I have close to 450# in there now.
I got the lead from a shooting range, so it's all in small fragments and you can easily pour the loose fragments into the cans and seal them up. They have handles so you can move them around the boat or remove them from the boat easily. This gives me lots of rear weight and there is still room in my locker for vest, ropes, handles etc...

I have 2 other cans elsewhere in the boat for a total of about 800-900#.
You can also shift them all to one side for wakesurfing.

It's Kinda ghetto, but easy AND cheap.

Thanks for the input. I'd like to have about 500lbs. I think I like the idea of putting about 200lbs of lead, and a bag to fill. That way, I'm not pulling all that much weight up onto my trailer.

I wonder how much more weight with water alone you could get in that locker if it were sealed?

Thanks Wakemann, you made a good point. I didn't know that compartment wasn't glassed at the top.

Kirk, I'll be stopping at my local gun range!

Thanks again all.

Sorry to Hijack

Wakemann, did you have to drill through the fiberglass divider to get the hoses to the ski locker? I can't see any other way to get two hoses in and out of the locker?

If it's the same size as the locker in a VLX, the FlyHigh rear seat bottom sack fills it up quite well.

Clay, Yes I had to drill thru the divider. I drilled near the top,just in case water from the engine bilge filled up there would be no issue with water transferring into the ski locker. The space under the ski pylon is the lowest spot. That is where Malibu placed the bilge pump. You'll notice that there is a drain plug for the locker on the bottom of the ski locker which drains into the engine bilge.

Thanks, that is what I was thinking. I will have to modify the cover that separates the bilge pump from the engine cover, and also drill two holes in the fiberglass (contains the plug) that separates the ski locker from the engine compartment. Also I noticed that when on the water and trailer, the lowest spot is actually in the ski locker, so water pools there is if don't screw in the divider plug.

Hijack over