Internal ballast

[Ethereal]

I've recently bought a timber classic schooner.
It has loose internal ballast (lead ingots) in her forward bilge.
What is the best way to secure this ballast ?

[sailasia]

Just screw in the hatchboard

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by Ethereal

I've recently bought a timber classic schooner.
It has loose internal ballast (lead ingots) in her forward bilge.
What is the best way to secure this ballast ?

I'm in the process of buying lead ingots from wherever I can. Once the yacht is launched I'll trim the yacht by shifting ballast around. Once I do that I'll pour bitumen around the ingots to add extra weight and secure them.

As my yacht is f/g I'll put a light ply lid on top of the ballast and then fiberglass heavily.


Clive

[GordMay]

“... One way to deal with portable lead ingots, or pigs as they are sometimes called, is to build metal baskets or trays that fit between your floor timbers and/or frames. These baskets have a flange along the top that overlaps and mounts on top of your floors or frames. Additionally, these baskets or trays are constructed so that their bottoms are elevated/suspended at least 1" above the inboard face of your planking for ventilation/drainage. Lag bolt the baskets in place down thru the mounting flange into the boats structural members. Install the pigs, re- cut them to size if need be, take up any gaps between the pigs and the sides of the baskets with hardwood wedges as you stack them in place. Fabricate and install/lag metal straps across the tops of the ingots/pigs to help hold them down. Wedge the retaining straps as necessary to makes things secure.You can build the baskets/trays from bronze, stainless or galvanized steel. Depending on your budget and the type of metal used in your boat. They don't have to be solid construction, they can be made out of bent and welded flat bar. It's a good way to install and secure internal ballast in manageable chunks. Depending on where you install the baskets you can keep critical areas (keelbolts, thru hulls)accessible for inspection/repair. Additionally, by using the basket approach you can get the ballast down low in the boat without choking things off...”

Stolen from The WoodenBoat Forum
➥ moveable internal lead ballast