2001 Air Nautique Ballast Operation

[pdxCC]

OK - I need some help on my 01' Air. I am not exactly sure how to operate the system.

Here are the steps I understand.
Filling:
1) Open Seacock in engine compartment.
2) Turn ballast knobs counterclockwise till they stop.
3) Hit fill button.
4) Fill till water comes out the thru-holes at the stern.
5) Turn off pump, turn knobs clockwise and then close Seacock.

Drain:
1) Open Seacock in engine compartment.
2) Turn ballast knobs counterclockwise till they stop.
3) Hit drain button.
4) Drain for 5-minutes???
5) Turn off pump, turn knobs clockwise and then close Seacock.

Please help me here. I don't think turning the knobs actually does anything.

[dfoster]

ok, what you describes seems similar to my 04 SV, so here is what I know from taking it apart.

The seacock and helm knobs only control the intake side. They don't impact the drain.

So what I do is open in the seacocks (I have two in the back for port/starbord and one for the belly). I leave those open for the duration becuase they are more of a pain to get to. Then I turn the ballast knob at the helm to open and fill until water comes out the side of the boat. For me each tank has a separate overflow so I can tell when each is full separately. I have guages, but only one works.

Once they are full (water coming out the overflow) I turn off the pumps and close the helm control. Then SURF!!!

When done, I hit the drain and water will come out the sides again. I drain until no water is coming out. If I am done for the set and we are heading in I will close the seacocks.

It seems silly to have two different valves, but I know if only one is closed some water leaks into the ballast tanks when going at slalom speeds. With both seacock and helm knob closed nothing leaks in.

Someday I want to upgrade to either electric valves or the jabsco impeller pumps so that I don't need to bother with the second set of valves, but for now they work enough and I have figured it out. My girls like getting a break to swim off the boat when I am filling/draining/changing sides for surfing, so it doesn't seem too bad.

[Quinner]

If the 01' is like my 99' was your list is correct. The pumps were optional so the tanks can be filled with forward motion as well, draining can be done when not moving. Don't recall exactly which way the helm controls turned for open or close, so no help there. The seacock does not have to be closed after filling but is the only way to ensure water does not come in or out, the helm controls will control water flow but not totally. If you want to confirm the pumps are working, there should be (2), one is the fill, the other for empty. One should be in the bilge near the engine and the other under the rear removable floor section. Without the motor running you should be able to do a audible check to see if they are running. The filling and emptying is all done from below so you won't necessarily know if either is happening other then what your gauge is telling you or by looking at the tanks. If the tanks are full and the fill pump is still running while moving forward with the helm control open, IIRC you will then see water coming out the side vent or overflow.

Again, this is how my 99' worked, believe the 01' is the same but ICBW.

Good Luck

PS, turning the helm controls may not "appear" to do anything, as they twist so easy, I think they are simply air valves.

[pdxCC]

Ok one more. There is a thru hull port at each back corner that overflows when I run the pumps? Any idea what theses are? The overflow doesn't seem to jive with all my research on the stock Nautique ballast system.

Thanks!