How-To Fill and Drain Portable Ballast Bags

Portable ballast pumps are a great solution when an option that is fast, and requires no installation is preferred. We regularly get questions about how to fill and drain ballast using a portable pump, so here are some of the highlights:

• The same pump is used for filling and draining. The pump is directional, so for filling the pump itself goes over the side of the boat into the water, and the end of the hose attaches to the bag. For draining, the connection is reversed with the pump attached to the top of the bag, and the end of the hose over the side of the boat.
• You fill and drain from a single port on the top of the bag. During draining, as water is removed from the bag, it collapses which allows the pump to 'fall' down with the bag as water is removed.

Here's a video we have that outlines the process of filling and draining ballast ballast:

With the current breed of high speed portable ballast pumps from Eight.3 and Straight Line, this is a great option for adding additional ballast to your boat. Contact a ballast product expert if you have any questions.