Where does Internal Ballast in Rhodes 19 C/B go?

[RGBecker]

I've got a centerboard Rhodes 19 which I picked up used in need of ribs etc. Sailed it all summer but heard lots of complaints that it seemed very tender even in light air. Have since read that the boat is to have 150 pounds of internal ballast. I think that would help my boat a lot, but where should it be located? Under Mast? just behind Mast? Along side the centerboard trunk? Does anyone have an O'Day Rhodes that they could take a picture of the bilge and show where and how the internal ballast is accomplished? The boats generally do well with weight forward from my experience racing the keel version. So I'm thinking way forward.

Thanks for any help on this.

 

[alan white]

I believe the ballast is already encapsulated into the hull on each side of the CB case. That would mean the tenderness experienced was due to the design having no fixed iron keel, meaning your boat is already ready to race and use of live ballast is more important than in the keel version. I doubt you'd notice the 150# of ballast until you dipped the gunwale.

 

[RGBecker]

Lead weighs about .4 pounds per cubic inch.

I think I would be able to see where the hull is thickened or where the weight has been fiberglassed in as the 150 pounds would require 375 cubic inches of lead. Maybe they used steel plate or cast iron, all which would be noticeable I would think. I think someone removed the ballast along the way and I was just wondering what other Rhodes 19 owners have in their boats and where. With the floor boards out, one can easily see the inside of the hull as there is no fiberglass liner. Maybe they bolted the ballast to the ribs or to the underside of the floorboards?

I think 150 pounds set low in the boat would make the boat more enjoyable for the elderly couple that has and will use the boat.

 

[alan white]

I googled the question and found little to go by. I only saw references to molded-in bllast to each side of the CB trunk. I might be wrong. I own a keel Rhodes 19.
It seems the boat was modern enough that it wouldn't have been the owner's responsibility to add ballast. However, you never know.
The internal ballast would probably be well positioned where I mentioned in any case. You're right, it would help instill confidence although you can imagine that a weight in that position wouldn't be noticed much and would be much more useful when righting the boat after a spill. It isn't usual to add ballast to a boat like that when crew positioning is 99% of the righting force. The additional 150# eould help to drop the boat into its lines too, as the hull shape is identical to the keel version, which has a heavy keel and therefore would sit lower.
Take the Herreshoff 12 1/2 footer versus the Haven 12 1/2. It's a different hull shape, narrower than the CB version, and the CB Herreshoff is wider exactly because it needs some form stability to make up for the lack of weight down low. Your boat, being the same shape as the keel boat would sit too high I would assume without some internal ballast. It still won't sit as low as a keel Rhodes but the difference would be diminished at least.

 

[RGBecker]

Strange there is so little about this on the web.

I've also Googled etc. looking for something with no luck. I could call Dave at Stuart Marine, but I was hoping for some pictures of an O'Day Centerboarder so I could see how and where the ballast was installed. I think 150 pounds in a 900 pound boat would make quite a difference.
Thanks for your interest and insights into this. The boat does sit quite a bit above the water line which really shows at the stern compared to my keel rhodes 19.