weighting / ballast configurations for 21i

[jeffro]

just curious as to how the rest of you wieght your 21i ?

one of my configs:

~400# - gullwing storage
600# - under stadium seating
300# - bow walkway
300# - in front of ski pylon (to the left of the driver)

[Domsz06]

I put about 600 in the back, and 600 in the walkway up front, it's nice, but i'm still working on it.

[Banks]

LOOK AT PICTURE
Dude I have found that if you put a sac on either side of the engine it does better than weight the front and the back. so if you are gonna load you boat to its limit make sure to put the side sacs in. Best way is to stick a sack in the back ski locker, side sacs(one each side of engine), and two smaller sacs(ie. water bed tubes) in the storage lockers under the passenger and driver side(one per side). Not to mention its not but like $11 for a single water bed tube. BUT don't weight the back too MUCH, it will screw the wake. Putting a single sac works well in the back locker only if the front has weight too.
LOOK AT PICTURE

[Domsz06]

Originally posted by Banks
LOOK AT PICTURE
Dude I have found that if you put a sac on either side of the engine it does better than weight the front and the back. so if you are gonna load you boat to its limit make sure to put the side sacs in. Best way is to stick a sack in the back ski locker, side sacs(one each side of engine), and two smaller sacs(ie. water bed tubes) in the storage lockers under the passenger and driver side(one per side). Not to mention its not but like $11 for a single water bed tube. BUT don't weight the back too MUCH, it will screw the wake. Putting a single sac works well in the back locker only if the front has weight too.
LOOK AT PICTURE

how much is too much in the back? I'll have to pick up some waterbed matresses for the front:) Right now I was using about 600 in the front and back and none on the side of the engine.

[Banks]

best is to put a full fat sac in the very back locker. if you do only that you will notice that the boat will ride high regardless of whether or not you are in slalom or wakeboard on taps. so the appropriat thing to do is put weight in the front of the boat. hence the water bed tube sacs (about 6 feet long so just fold in half) which weigh more than they appear to weigh (exact weight unkown around 208 total for both together maybe more), well then your best bet is to buy a set of fat buddies, stick one on each side. i think they weigh about 250 a piece. so you are looking at somewhere around 500 to 600 lbs in the back 500 in the mid section, and then about 208 in the front. Key - you don't want to put much more than that in the lockers so that you keep the bow up, and well you're looking at around 1300 lbs which isn't too shabby. and its not going psycho like putting in a fat seat - not to metion that would be too much weight in the back.
Any more questions write back.
ps. make sure if you go to a water bed store you ask for
Water Bed Tube/Side Sacs
hometown.aol.com/bankshf (http://hometown.aol.com/bankshf/)

[Banks]

note key is not always how much weight, sometimes it is where the weight is that matters
and if you have to load more than 250 on the sides i don't think it will be a problem. thats the mid section of the boat so its harder to screw up the displacement.
http://hometown.aol.com/bankshf/

[Domsz06]

Banks

can you find a waterbed store online? or have you looked? I'll look, but just wondering if you had found some. We don't have any stores like that around here, but if they are only 11 bucks, then I want to pick up a couple:) Thanks for the info, and I'm gonna go play with it now.

[Banks]

Yeah just look around online best i saw just looking for a min or two was this one. http://www.abcwaterbed.com/tubes.htm you want the full motion tube
I got mine from a waterbed store in town.

http://hometown.aol.com/bankshf

[Domsz06]

Thanks banks. I'm gonna order some.

[Banks]

No prob man. things like that make this site useful.
http://hometown.aol.com/bankshf

[devonb]

Are these waterbed tubes hard to fill up and empty or is it pretty straight forward? It sounds like a great idea and I think im goin to get some if its not a hassle.

[Domsz06]

the tubes use the same set up as my fat sacs. That little blue nossle is really a water bed filler(least mine is) not a fat saq filler:)

[Banks]

same as a fat sac easy to fill

[Banks]

What's the biggest wake anyone has had behind their or someone elses 21i? Estimate by height of wake next to body like, knee height -higher or lower.

http://hometown.aol.com/bankshf

[bertuzzi]

we are running about 800 lbs in the back, 400 each in the drivers and observers storage, and another 300 in the bow. that and 7 people equals a good sized wake. We are probably going to add another 100lbs to each section for this year.

[jeffro]

Originally posted by bertuzzi
we are running about 800 lbs in the back, 400 each in the drivers and observers storage, and another 300 in the bow. that and 7 people equals a good sized wake. We are probably going to add another 100lbs to each section for this year.

is your 800 lbs in the gull wing storage or under the stadium seat?

[bertuzzi]

its in the gullwing. We have no weight showing anywhere in the boat, which is how I like to have it. Its a 500lbs sack in the gullwing and about 150lbs steel on either side of it. And it still leaves lots of room for vests and towels, and can still hold a board if the racks are full.

[Banks]

sounds like a lot of people put a tad more weight towards the front whats up with that?

http://hometown.aol.com/bankshf

[tigetex]

I just bought a 2003 22IR :D

I am with Bertuzzi, I really dont want sacks or other weights showing in the boat. I also want to be able to fill and empty the sacks easily. (preferably right from the cockpit) I don't mind doing some wiring and plumbing to accomplish this.

Anyone have any great ideas? Has anyone done a set-up something like I am suggesting?

[Banks]

today was a good day, finally got rid of the concrete and sand bags. i put in about 440 lbs of lead. :) got it cheap too. you can go to a tire store and they will sell the used tire lead weights for 15-20 bucks per 5 gallon bucket.

[jeffro]

Originally posted by tigetex
I just bought a 2003 22IR :D

I am with Bertuzzi, I really dont want sacks or other weights showing in the boat. I also want to be able to fill and empty the sacks easily. (preferably right from the cockpit) I don't mind doing some wiring and plumbing to accomplish this.

Anyone have any great ideas? Has anyone done a set-up something like I am suggesting?

if you don't mind doing your own install, you can put one bag under each cockpit/bow storage (the large storage area under the bow seats, and in front of the driver & passenger). Then add a large bag in the rear gullwing storage. You'll have no visible bags that way. That's an easy 1000-1200 lbs of "invisible" ballast for ya. Top it off with some carpeted lead weight under the rear stadium seat and some under the very front bow cushions....another "almost invisible" 300-500 lbs.

that should be a nice setup.

[Domsz06]

I just ordered Terry's rival ballasy system. I got the three bag setup, with the fourth going to splice to my two side sacks when I don't have many people in the boat. I'm looking right at around 2000 pounds with all the sacks full. plus if I want to add another 400 pounds of lead I can. I think that will be way overkill!! So i'm thinking about strapping the lead weights under the floor so they are out of the way, so I really don't need to use my side sacs.

Dom

[ssrgeoff]

Wow that alot of weight. I emailed Rival and in the 22i they were quoting me 1200 for a 4 bag system totaling 1000 lbs. I would be looking at another 500# in lead to give me what I am looking for. From everyone elses experience its better to have a little more weight in the front? Guess I will soon find out...

[Banks]

dude go to a tire store and buy the used tire lead weights. you can either melt them yourself or get some pvc dump what they give you in to pvc tubes fill the space in with sand and cap it. i did the pvc it was easy and no toxic death fumes from melting. cost me 40 bucks for the lead for somewhere b/t 400 and 450 lbs. as opposed to the dollar a pound lead plates.

[TigeNoCo]

Do you guys ever run into swamping the front end of your boat with that much weight in it? I have an '02 21ir with no ballast in it but we have an average of 7-8 people in our boat at all times and I have to really watch out so as to not swamp our boat when coming around to retrieve a downed boarder.

[ssrgeoff]

Yes,

Thats the only thing that bothers me about my boat. Tige needs to update the draft on the 22i.

[rmarion]

Originally posted by TigeNoCo
Do you guys ever run into swamping the front end of your boat with that much weight in it? I have an '02 21ir with no ballast in it but we have an average of 7-8 people in our boat at all times and I have to really watch out so as to not swamp our boat when coming around to retrieve a downed boarder.

LOL, a few times a day, had my two kids (18-20) about 375#, major throttle control was needed with them in the front. Sure glad the bilge works..............;)

[TigeNoCo]

Yeah, That's why I asked...I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one in the world.

I wish the boat drained better.

[ssrgeoff]

No your not the only one. I have had a jacuzzi in the front once after I got hit by a roller I had water over the footstep behind the seat. Thats how high it was.... Not to mention all the wet garments and such under the observers seat.

[rmarion]

Originally posted by ssrgeoff
No your not the only one. I have had a jacuzzi in the front once after I got hit by a roller I had water over the footstep behind the seat. Thats how high it was.... Not to mention all the wet garments and such under the observers seat.

LOL, I believe that is the initiation to join the 22i club.

[jeffro]

update on wieght placement of 2003 21i

found a really good wieght distribution yesterday for the 21i. Held speed really well, wake was clean back to 75-80+ feet.

500# in bow walkway (as far forward as possible)
350# on each side of motor
500# in rear gullwing storage area

~1700# total + 3 people (1 rider, 2 in the boat)