ballast on 99 air

[brad6622]

hey guys i just bought a 99 air nautique. I do not know how to work the ballast tanks. SOrry to be such a noob but this is my first inboard boat , always had the gay I/Os to deal with. I see the two knobs and the switch but dont know which way to turn them or whatever. Where does the ballast dump out out? Thanks for any info

[Quinner]

RE: ballast on 99 air

If your boat is equipped with the factory set-up you should have 2 ballast tanks in the trunk of the boat, each one holds around 200lbs + of water. Water intake and drain are in the hull (underneath) of the boat, if equipped with the ballast pumps, which is most likely what your switch is for, you can assist the drain and fill by using these pumps, when using the pumps I believe the draining will occur out the side as well. You should have one valve in the bilge area which shuts off the water intake/drain, in addition you should have your helm control valves (2 knobs) which control each tank open/closed individually, keep in mind the helm control valves have a tendency to still allow water to flow a bit.
Ballast can always be filled without pumps while moving forward with all valves open and drained while not moving with all valves open.

Check out CC's website, they have some owners manuals available online and/or contact CC to see if you can obtain one.

Good luck with your new boat!

[BHog]

RE: ballast on 99 air

On my 99 Super air it has the knobs plus you have to open a valve in the engine compartment. Then you fill the ballast and when it is full it will spit out of the side. close knobs and valve by the engine

[Miljack]

On my 99 Pro Air, the two white knobs rotate to open and close, can't remember which way, but it's on the knobs. On my boat, these are connected to a vent system which is supposed to keep water from flowing into the tank when closed. You may guess that they have no chance of doing that. My system was originally derived from a livewell tank system. If you want to ski, close the manual ball valve in front of the engine, if you're boarding just leave it open, you can use the fill pumps, it will go a little faster, and the tanks will vent out the rear when full. The tanks drain back through the water intake.

Jack

[phantom268]

I have a 98 Air myself, has anyone ever converted the stock setup to a more modern automated pump system to avoid those awkward controls? Sometimes I just can't get them to fill when I want them to or empty when I want. Seems the plumbing is already in place and it wouldn't be that difficult to change it, but I have no experience in plumbing ballast systems and not all sure what might be involved. I always wondered if the "fill/empty" toggle switch actually did anything lol. Anyone know where those pumps are located that are supposed to assist in the process?

[BHog]

Its not hard at all to change. Phnatom I thought the same thing about the toggle switch, then relized my pumps were not working. Changed the 2 pumps and added a 3rd to fill front ski locker sack. I dont have to use the 2 knobs now.

[hollister]

Ballast tanks drain out the bottom. Same way the water comes in. When the tanks are full, and the pump is running you should see some water trickling out of the vents. Helm controls are righty tighty, lefty loosey. The only way to keep water out of the tanks is to close the seacock in the engine compartment. Otherwise the tanks will fill when running.

[isbtown]

I have the empty button on my dash, but every time i hit it it trips the breaker. Any ideas on that?

Is the only other option for me right now to lift the boat out of the water to empty the tanks?

[hollister]

my guess would be that you have a short in the wiring to the pump, or a bad pump. I have never gotten in to mine to see where those pumps are. It sounds like you have some fun ahead of you.