AD and VG ballast options

[Jaysen]

The Spanish used gold on the way home.

not too much more than lead...

[Netpackrat]

If ordering your lead from that Rotometals link I posted previously is deemed to be insufficiently laborious, you can probably find an old sailboat hull for cheap or free, and cut it up for the lead ballast. Maybe get some rigging that way too.

[gonandkarl]

Hi,
I think Jacques designed the AD s and VG s with lead in the centre board and as static ballast because it does not take much space. In the centre board there are 3 plates of lead of which the 3 rd one is much bigger than the other two and that is the one when lowered brings the biggest weight far below the keel. The static ballast should be around the front of the centre board case and is at the same time storage place in the AD. Now if you have more storage you can leave some lead weights on the shore. And this is the reason why he talks of lead in his design so that it can be removable. I have 20 three-kilogram lead weights which I can easily remove. Concrete bricks for instance would take most probably all the place around the centre board case and leaves no place to store anything. Lead is definitely preferable and you get it at scrap yards for a reasonable price. I bought all in all approximately 120 kg for around 200 euros. I agree that the price of the weight in concrete would be around 30 euros and therefore I would suggest to bogie use lead in the centre board and for cost reasons start experimenting with the static ballast with concrete paving bricks which one can cut with a grinder even into triangular pieces. Should you not be happy with them in the long run you can change to lead pieces later and still have not wasted the bricks when you pave your garden path. On my first outing on the water with my AD14 I was so tired because of the launching activity so I decided to leave the static ballast in the car and I did not sit with my 120 kg and the transom in the water. The bow was just a bit raised but who cares. The fun is being on the water with your boat built at a reasonable cost and when you sit in it you cannot see if it is floating on the lines.
Greetings from Karl

[Jaysen]

Thanks Karl. Hadn’t even considered making it removable at first. That’s a great idea!

[gonandkarl]

Hi Jaysen ,
Have you started an AD or VG and not let us know with posts and pictures in a new building thread ? We are starving to see sail boats being built. Posting and reading is a must especially when there is snow outside. Please do not hide your new build for too long.
Greetings from Karl

[Jaysen]

If I were building a boat y’all would be hearing about it. Daily. I’m actually going to be helping another builder with an AD16 (assuming he invites me back) starting in February (Bogieman’s Tipsy). We’ve been in communication and passing ideas back and forth regularly. Access to lead is actually a bit harder then expected thanks to our location. We’ve been debating options and I offered to post a question to see what JM would want changed should we opt for poured concrete or encapsulated steel.

That said, I’m looking at 2 options for Lil Bit’s big sister. 1. J24 and join the local race community with weekend sails.
2. Catalina 24/27 and use it like an RV that we park in various harbors.
I’m leaning towards the J24 as the TCO is a bit cheaper and they are easier to resell here.

This assumes I don’t win the lotto, buy a Vg26 CNC kit and sail away into the sunrise first.

[Bogieman]

[gonandkarl]

Hi,
For the Catalina 24 our circumnavigator Terrulian can give you tips for sure he owns one and sails it regularly.
I like the rest of your post because I also always play lotto and my wife holds thumbs that I do not win because of the permanent wish of sailing away into the sunset.
Jokes aside I still think concrete paving blocks are cheap and would make good removable ballast on bogies Adelie to start with.
Greetings from Karl

[jacquesmm]

If price isn't a concern, tungsten.

Or depleted Uranium. Eric Tabarly had his Pen Duick VI keel made from it.

[jacquesmm]

The keel and the CB are two different things. The CB is not a keel, it is ballasted to go down. If there was no lead in it, it would float, never go down. It contributes a little bit to stability but not much.
The ballast in the hull is ballast for stability. Ideally, it should be made from lead ingots bolted down. The idea is that boat can be towed by a small car or truck with the ballast out of the boat, in the back of the truck: easy towing and launching. It is removable ballast.
Steel in concrete is not as dense, I do not recommend it.
That small amount of lead can be found on Craigslist, from tire places etc.
I prefer lead.