Retrofit custom ballast

Ok, I posted this once before and I'll ask again to see if anyone had done or heard of anyone doing it.

I have a 96 Malibu Sunsetter that I'd like to keep. Problem, I hate walking over ballast bags. I want to retrofit the boat with underfloor ballast. I'd redo the rear seat support, but it wouldn't be enough to do anything with.

I'm looking at this:
Ok, link doesn't work but here's the info:
Features:
High capacity, fully hidden, automated ballast system that allows for control of wake size, shape and length.
OEM level of integration that looks like it was factory installed.
Highest quality components for a lifetime of trouble free service.
Designed for ideal 40/60 front to rear weight distribution for handling and wake characteristics.
Fills and drains 1050lbs. in under 6 minutes!
Specifications:
Two custom ballast bags designed to optimize the capacity for each location
Four high capacity pumps
3/4" braid reinforced tubing
1 1/2" through-hull pickup
Two chrome plated through-hull fittings
Factory matched switches*
NMMA quality wiring harness for simple plug-and-play installation
All necessary clamps and fittings
Detailed instructions for easy installation





Anyone know of anyway to get the ballast under the floor? I don't have a storage trunk in the back of my boat, only a flip up rear seat rest and a pull out seat bottom.

(Message edited by Souperfly on August 29, 2006)

What kind of boat do you have? If you can build your seat up about 14 inches higher then you can put a sack under the rear seat. It would require a little bit of wood work and some carpet. I did it on my 2001 nautique. It looks good. Also, you can probably buy all the parts seperate and do your own custom ballast system (I made mine with about $200). I bought a strainer ($20), 2 thru hull fittings ($20), 20 ft of wire, 25 ft of 1 inch hose ($25), 2 fat sacs sitting in my garage (probably $50 on ebay), marine 5200 sealant ($10), some switches and fuse block ($15), $40 of pipe fittings and 3 pumps (3800gph livewell pump $50 on ebay and 2 800 gph livewell pumps). The 3800 gph pump is the fill pump. It has a T fitting at the end and fills up a 350lb sack and a 375lb sack. The 2 small pumps are the empty pumps. It is all hidden and controlled by switches. The only problem is that because I use aerator pumps I have to go about 10 miles an hour to get the big pump primed. I also have ball valves controlling each sac so you when one is done filling you can cut off the flow to the other sac.

Its a 96 Malibu Sunsetter. One of the problems is that the side moldings/cushions angle down to the seat that pulls out, so the seat slides towards the engine box then you can pull it out. Don't know if that makes sense to ya or not.

Could you email me your setup, any pics and lessons learned kinda thing? This is something that might save me from selling my boat for a V-drive! And that will be done for the offseason.

Email: Bkey79@yahoo.com

(Message edited by Souperfly on August 29, 2006)

I found a pic of another sunsetter, as you can see the rear seat doesnt look like you can modify it too much.

I hate to tell you but you are pretty limited with what you can do with that boat as far as hidden ballast. As you stated the back seat is a limiting factor. You could get the seats "reworked" to where they are able to fit on the inside of the side gunnel pads and therefore elevate the entire rear seat. You will gain a few inches at most here but it may be enough to put something like this under the seat
http://buywake.com/catalog/detail/FL_ttJqn
you may not be able to fill it up entirely but you should be able to get 400 lbs or so. If you don't want to do that you can put a tube sac http://buywake.com/catalog/detail/FL_rYXTm in front of the rear seat behind the engine, this doesn't take up too much floor space. The ski locker is your next option for the forward position (if your boat has a ski locker, i can't remember). once again a tube sac should work in there. http://buywake.com/catalog/detail/FL_rYXTm

Other than these options you could put some lead or sand in hideaway places. I have a 95 Sport Nautique and I have tried pretty much every possible scenario. You either live with it or do a serious upgrade to a v-drive. Its hard to go back to $300+ a month payments when the boat you have kicks out a nice wake...

I have a 1995 hydrodyne grandsport it has no ski locker, but it has a big forward bilge area under the floor could I put a sac hidden down under there between the stringers

top

you guys need lead. if you tear the floor out of your boat, your taking away half of the support between the gunnels. try to drive a double up with a hull like that. serious problems IMO

I am not tearing out any floor. my floor comes out so I can accsess the bilge area. when the floor is out it also gives me accsess under the bow area and there is room under there to through a bag , but will it damage glass or it the same as a ski locker.
also I mooring my boat when we are at the lake overnight so I don't want permanent weight like led so water is my only choice.

Brandon-

The image you posted above is of my Response. You can view the full article on the ballast system I installed on it here. Unfortunately, due to the space limitations on our boats, there is no way to completely hide the bags in your boat and still get the amount of ballast you desire. If completely hidden is essential to you, lead is the only way you'll get an appreciable amount of weight in the boat.

With respect to the Elevate Ballast System you referenced above, unfortunately it too is subject to the physical limitations of the boat the system will be installed in. I designed the Elevate system, and while it will offer flip of the switch control of each bag while sitting or running at speed, it can't create space where there isn't. That means on your boat, you'll be forced to have the rear bag visible (either in place of the rear seat, or underneath it with the rear seat bottom in the sundeck position). You'll still be able to fill or drain each bag separately from the driver's seat, but there is no way to hide the rear back in your particular boat.

If you have any other specific questions about the Elevate systems, let me know and I'll be happy to provide as much detail as possible.

Jason
www.wakeside.com

Soup, your on thecrew...go do a search on WG's old boat and you will find a custom ballast project for under the back seat. It was on an 04 DD wakesetter but its the same boat as yours.

Leo, which 3800 gph pump did you get, and do you have a link to the ebay site?

Brandon, is there space behind the seat or is it the gas tank? Pro-X Series has some new custom cubes for voids in small spaces like that.

Brandon:

I have a 97 Sunsetter (Essentially the same boat as yours) and I did a two bag system as follows:

1. Ski Locker (Front) put a tube sac in there which is 550lbs.

2. Between rear seat and the engine, I put a 600lb tube sac.

I plumbed a 9.1gpm ballast puppy fully reversable pump and mounted it to the ski pylon under the floor in front of the engine so it's totally hidden. I have a 1.5 inch scoop thru-hull connector where I both fill and drain. I can fill and drain while underway. When we drop in I start filling and I can fill both bags in under 9 minutes. I drain when we leave our spot and the ballast is empty when we get to the ramp.

I've also got four rubbermaid containers of sand under my back seat.

I too would like to dump the rear seat mechanism, but have not found an easy solution. WG's solution just was not enough weight. Also if you raise the back seat, you cover the rear speakers. You probably could put them somewhere else.

It's just not worth it IMO. Get yourself a really tough bag with a nice tight connector that won't pop off, and get a nice terry cloth cover made for it so you can lounge on it.

The only other thing I can think of is getting a custom bag made, flat and rectangular. Remove the back seat, build a platform that goes over the bag and cover it in vinyl with a decent pad. Then take the back seat off the hinge and put it on rails that allow the back seat to slide straight up, then flip up on the gas shocks so you can access the storage area.

If you want to see pics of mine, let me know. It's work out really well for me.

Nacho, I have 350lbs of lead in the front of the boat. I dont need anymore rear ballast, as the wedge and 880lbs water ballast are enough! But I want to take those 880lbs of water and hide them and make them automatic!

Jason, Thanks for the reply, I basically knew what the answer was going to be. Fourtunetly, My speakers on the 96 sit half way up the side pad so i don't have to worry about covering them up. Raising the seat is an option, just need to find a good carpenter!

Pat, WG sent me some pics, but I was looking for something a little more. Right now I run boat launch pad twins at 880lbs in the mid-rear of the boat with the wedge down and 350lbs of lead in the front. usually takes another person up front for the wake to be perfect. If there was a way that I could take Jason's design into my boat I'd be extremly happy as I'd like to keep near 600lbs in the rear.

John, I'd love to see the pics. Although I'm looking at wanted to hide the bags, and currently adding a sac to the ski locker this weekend. I need about 500lbs up front for it to be my "perfect" wake. So with that being said, I want to chop up my lead so I can move it around eaiser for wakesurfing. (i have the industrial two sets of 4ft long lead they use for building roofs.)

Thanks for all the replies from everyone! Im starting to get the itch for a new vdrive boat now. So if anyone knows anyone looking for the cleanest DD sunsetter, lol.

Bkey79@yahoo.com