Leaking Ballast? Please help!

[Conroe22]

Hi all, I recently purchased a 2013 Tige Z3 and actually just took it out for the first time and man what a great surf wake. We got back to the dock and I opened the passenger hatch and noticed it was soaking wet (picture attached). What can cause this? Is this a leaking ballast bag or is this a more serious problem? Anyone have experience with this?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chpthril]

If it was not wet like that before heading out and you filled the bow ballast, then yeah, likely a failed ballast sac, hose or fitting. Remove the panels and see what you find.

[Conroe22]

If it was not wet like that before heading out and you filled the bow ballast, then yeah, likely a failed ballast sac, hose or fitting. Remove the panels and see what you find.

Thank you for the response. This is my first tow boat, always had bow riders and cruisers. What’s frustrating is that I had the dealership do a full inspection before purchasing the boat from a friend and they supposedly checked the ballast bags and pumps. Obviously not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Conroe22]

This might be a stupid question but I want to make sure so I don’t make any mistakes with this new boat. Is it okay to operate the boat if it has a bad fitting, so long as we aren’t using that particular ballast bag?

I was reading a post earlier about a tige that was left in the water all night and a ballast hose failed and it flooded the boat....? Just want to make sure that I don’t flood the thing. If you could educate me on how the ballast pump pulls in the water, and if something fails is there a shutoff valve?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chpthril]

With this being suspect of a bow sacs, id say you are safe, just dont fill the bow.

Tige does use a ball valve below each fill pump. There are 2 fill pumps for the bow sac(s), so if you wanted to close those just to make sure they dont pass water, then do it.

[Conroe22]

With this being suspect of a bow sacs, id say you are safe, just dont fill the bow.

Tige does use a ball valve below each fill pump. There are 2 fill pumps for the bow sac(s), so if you wanted to close those just to make sure they dont pass water, then do it.

Is it possible to overfill these ballast bags or is there an auto shut off?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chpthril]

The sacs have a passive vent, so once full, they overflow from the vent.

[Conroe22]

I wonder if that’s what caused the compartment to get wet then. I probably overfilled the bag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chpthril]

The overflow is piped to an thru-hull exit thats next to the drain flow exit, so it goes back to the lack, not into the boat. So not something caused by you

[Conroe22]

Okay another question... the nipples just fall through the bag. Does this symbolize a faulty bag? Shouldn’t they be sealed shut? Or are they supposed to seal when the water fills?

Probably a stupid question but still.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bsreid]

Yes those should be glued in. I think you just found your leak

[BCRider]

^^lol. Uh ya. That ain't right. Your bag has blown a port. Repair or replace.

[chpthril]

Need a replacement sac. then, check the hose routing and length. This is often the root cause of that type of port failure.

[Conroe22]

Any recommendations on a replacement bag?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Conroe22]

Or anyone know the brand of this one? All I can tell is it’s got the quick release connections made by fly high!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk