Lead

[Northcott]

When I bough tmy bought there was a large amount (maybe 15) lead bars throught the boat. Most outboard of the stringers. Is this used for more than just port/stb. balance. Someone on another site mentioned that some boats have it for roll stability?

 

[rsmith]

When Rybovitch put the second genny on my boat they fiberglassed sheets of lead on the opposite side to correct the list. Weight on the outboard sides of the boat IMO would increase the possibility of roll occilations Like it does in a aircraft with tip mounted fuel tanks.

 

[MikeP]

Very common in Hatts from the factory to set boat level in the water. Depending on options, daily variations in FG layup etc, different amounts of lead may be present. Our 53MY probably has 500 lbs of lead ingots under the outboard guest stateroom bed.

 

[GOLE IV]

Some boats needs lower the center of gravity of the boat. This also bring the stability, in other cases as mention to level the boat.
When I replaced the DD to new Yanmars, removed 3,854 pounds of dead weight from the boat. A naval architect made an analysis of the new center of gravity and trim of the boat so make sure the location of the new lighter engines.
We did not had to add weight, but have seen this in other boats to compensate for reduction of weight and wrong engine location.

 

[Angela]

I believe it is very much for port/starboard balance. We looked at a 58MY that had lead bricks all own one side. We ended up buying a different 58MY, and I sure would like to have some of those bricks!

I need about 400 pounds on my starboard side. I wonder how much a bag of portland cement weighs. In Ohio, when our lake was down for the winter, we would stack whole dry bags along the shoreline. When the water came up, the cement would get wet, set and eventually the paper on the bags would come off and break up, leaving rounded, smooth, large, uniform "rocks." I wonder if could lay a few bags were I need them and soak them in.

 

[Passages]

I need about 400 pounds on my starboard side. I wonder how much a bag of portland cement weighs. In Ohio, when our lake was down for the winter, we would stack whole dry bags along the shoreline. When the water came up, the cement would get wet, set and eventually the paper on the bags would come off and break up, leaving rounded, smooth, large, uniform "rocks." I wonder if could lay a few bags were I need them and soak them in.

I believe cement comes in 50 and 100 pound bags. I like your idea of having a few bags in the bilge. I'd move the bags around until you found the optimum wt and location, then open them up, fill a stringer void then slurry it up. This will reduce volume and chance of them rolling loose, but once done, it will be permanent.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Never to be removed !!!!! why not use sand bags instead, at least can be moved around later if needed?? not as heavy per cu/ft but easier to move.

Or source old battery lead ingots at 50 lbs each,,,keep them out of salt water though...

 

[Angela]

Oh, I'd never want them to be non-removable! Things change, such as when you add a second genny, or another bank of batteries for a stand alone inverter system, or add/remove somethin from the flybridge. Where we'd want to put them are on the hull floor between the outboard stringer and the hullside - that's where I've seen the lead bricks on other boats just lying there. I can't imagine they could dislodge themselves any more than the lead ingots would, and if they did, I probably have a bigger mess on my hands elsewhere in the boat. We don't take the boat out in rough seas and we're not a fishing boat running balls to the wall trying to get somewhere first. We run the boat comfortably and if the forecast calls for big seas, we simply want for another time. So, I don't see the need to make them permanent.

We considered old batteries at one time, but I don't want to deal with the mess of acid and the plastic casing will slide around on the fiberglass without too much effort.

Sandbags are an idea! They can be squashed and manipulated to fit in odd spots which would improve their staying power.

 

[rsmith]

I believe it is very much for port/starboard balance. We looked at a 58MY that had lead bricks all own one side. We ended up buying a different 58MY, and I sure would like to have some of those bricks!

I need about 400 pounds on my starboard side. I wonder how much a bag of portland cement weighs. In Ohio, when our lake was down for the winter, we would stack whole dry bags along the shoreline. When the water came up, the cement would get wet, set and eventually the paper on the bags would come off and break up, leaving rounded, smooth, large, uniform "rocks." I wonder if could lay a few bags were I need them and soak them in.

I know a guy used a 6'71 head for balast. It was cracked and he got it for free.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I removed several lead bars from my boat. I now sits level and I have seen no ill effects. I'd recommend that you only use as much as you need to make her level. Any more and you're just sacrificing fuel efficiency.

 

[REBrueckner]

Unlikely that concrete would attach so firmly as to be prevent subsequent removal...if your bilge is THAT pristine, place a bit of sand under where the concrete will sit...or wipe the surface with a small amount of oil or grease....before placing the concrete.

Concrete was used extensively on wooden boats of all types especially in the garboard plank area between ribs...it supposedly kept crud from accumulating between ribs,also locked them in place and maybe resisted freeze damage from bilge water sitting there.

I removed it all, with a chisel and little effort, so I could clean and paint down there on a 1925 and then a 1949 Matthews. Problem was once some oil got in the bilge, you could not clean the cracks and crevices between the concrete and the wood bilge....so I would not use concrete down low in the bilge where dirt and oil will surely accumulate.

The "lead" weights in my 1972 Hatt YF were steel....I could tell from the rust....and I removed them. To make up for that starboard side weight, I moved by stub shafts from port to stbd and added an 8D Battery stbd side.