New Pontoon Owner - Ballast tank and transom

[ScooterMcTavish]

Hello all,

New pontoon owner here with a 93 Lund 2100 Angler, apparently built for Lund by Crestliner.

My question is that the transom is part of an aluminum "tank" with a plug. When we bought the boat, there was no plug in this, and the owner stated that he let it fill for ballast when driving.

Drove the boat in choppy conditions last weekend, and was quite pleased at the lack of "bob" compared to other pontoons I've been on. Can't say I was all that in love with the speed though, as this tank likely had 2-300lbs of water in it. Best speed I got with a 50 HP 2-stroke Mariner was about 13.5 MPH.

So my question is, is this tank supposed to be used for ballast, or did the guy give me a line? And if it can be used for ballast, what are the relative pluses and minuses for doing so. I'm guessing it is a ride vs. speed/capacity argument.

Thanks!

 

[Jeep Man]

Have to say, personally have never heard of a ballast tank on a pontoon. My boat has the gas tank in this space. Whether the tank is full (70 litre /18.5 gal.) or near empty, I do not notice much difference in ride. In choppier water it cuts through the waves quite well although it rocks when side on to waves, but that's going to happen anyway.

 

[HotTommy]

Are you asking if you should buy a plug, drain the water, and put it in to find out if it either rides better or leaks?

 

[ScooterMcTavish]

No Title

HT, was going to plug it and pump it out anyways to see what (if any) detectable difference there is.

The design of the thing looks as if it is supposed to hold water, otherwise, I can't understand why they wouldn't design a different style of transom, or just attach the motor to the deck like I saw on a rental Bennington.

JM, this area is shaped like a large triangle - lets see if I can find something on the interwebs.....

Looks like this, except it is "pluggable"

Possibly I'm using the wrong term here....apologies if I am. Apparently this Lund is a virtual ringer for the Cresliner 2085 CFi.

 

[ahicks]

Some of those engine pods/transoms/whatever you'd like to call them, are equipped with built in fuel tanks. Sounds like maybe you have one.

 

[HotTommy]

The picture you posted is of an engine pod. Water naturally gets in it and some drains out the triangular hole in the back while underway. If your pod has a fully enclosed portion, like a sealable tank, I'm not familiar with it and have no advice. If yours is simply an engine pod with an open top and a round hole rather than a triangular one, I'd just leave it open. Rain water and splash from riding about will put water in it, so you'll want it to drain routinely.

 

[ScooterMcTavish]

Thanks HT. Yes, only difference is mine has a round drain hole and can be plugged. Interested into why they designed the pod this way vs a regular transom.

 

[Water logged]

I don't know what a regular transom would be, but the one in your picture is a common one. As mentioned by ahicks and hottommy, they often contain the fuel tank and water flows in and out at will. Not sure I would want the engine pod to stay full on my boat, I would leave the plug out.

Glenn

 

[lmuss53]

Show us a picture of your's. It is not designed to carry around a couple hundred pounds of water as ballast, I can just about guarantee you that. Crestliner and Lund were both Genmar Companies in 1993 and the boats were very similar and may have been built in the same place. I looked at Crestliner and Lund Pontoons in 93, and 94 but didn't buy until 1995, when I bought a new Crestliner 1750 Sportfish instead of a pontoon. No one ever mentioned a transom, pod, tube anything designed to ballast the boat down and I looked at boats and talked to the sales people at 3 boat shows and 3 or 4 dealerships before I bought my boat.

My current 20 footer with a 50 hp is a 20 ish MPH boat, that one should be in that range too.

 

[ScooterMcTavish]

I don't know what a regular transom would be, but the one in your picture is a common one. As mentioned by ahicks and hottommy, they often contain the fuel tank and water flows in and out at will. Not sure I would want the engine pod to stay full on my boat, I would leave the plug out.

Glenn

Or drain it and put the plug in to keep it empty? Or is supposed to fill when at rest, then empty when underway?

 

[ScooterMcTavish]

Show us a picture of your's. It is not designed to carry around a couple hundred pounds of water as ballast, I can just about guarantee you that. Crestliner and Lund were both Genmar Companies in 1993 and the boats were very similar and may have been built in the same place. I looked at Crestliner and Lund Pontoons in 93, and 94 but didn't buy until 1995, when I bought a new Crestliner 1750 Sportfish instead of a pontoon. No one ever mentioned a transom, pod, tube anything designed to ballast the boat down and I looked at boats and talked to the sales people at 3 boat shows and 3 or 4 dealerships before I bought my boat.

My current 20 footer with a 50 hp is a 20 ish MPH boat, that one should be in that range too.

Yup, the Lund was built by Crestliner, and it looks exactly the same as the 93 2085Lsi, which was pretty much the same as the 94, except for the livewell location.

Will also check the prop next time it's out too - wonder if I'm underpropped if you're getting 50% more speed than I am.