Monk 36

Just purchased a monk 36. Great trawler- first day was a 13 hour voyage home! Question- the seller has approx 14 bags of water softener salt lining the aft cabin storage compartment below and behind bed. Each bag weighs 40 pounds. Why would these be here and should I remove them?

Takeitesea said:

Just purchased a monk 36. Great trawler- first day was a 13 hour voyage home! Question- the seller has approx 14 bags of water softener salt lining the aft cabin storage compartment below and behind bed. Each bag weighs 40 pounds. Why would these be here and should I remove them?

Click to expand...

Sounds like a bad way of balancing and ballasting the boat.I don't know why they would be there unless some tanks or other equipment was removed and made the vessel to light.A vessel that is to light could be uncomfy to be in, maybe the thru hulls aren't submerged deep enough,or the prop is not running deep enough.I am making guesses.The boat could be or could have had a water softener aboard.

Ask the previous owner, probably ballast.
I used sand bags and lead ingots.

A quite a few of Monk owners, myself included, have added weight aft to bring the bow up a bit. I used lead ingots.

Steve said:

A quite a few of Monk owners, myself included, have added weight aft to bring the bow up a bit. I used lead ingots.

Click to expand...

My Monk 36 has several lead bars in the lazzarette right by the rudder posts. I also find that my Monk drives better in choppy or rough water when the H20 tanks are full and they are all aft.

I have been told that when the generator, 500-600 lbs, is added forward of the engine (the only logical place) it brings the bow down, more so when the boat is equipped with a full chain rode.
I added 500 lbs of lead and my dinghy is hung from Kato davits on the transom, she rides fine.
Steve W

Asking the seller is the obvious answer, but it seems like a question that would have come up in the survey. You did have a survey, right?

Assuming there is a good reason for the 14 bags, the question would be why the PO used water softener salt instead of much less expensive sand or gravel?

If you really need the weight to make the boat handle properly, you may be able to use something that will serve a purpose other than just dead weight. A large house bank of batteries comes to mind. You would have to install and vent them properly, but at least you would get some use out of the weight.

Same here. Lots of lead in the back by the rudder post.

rwidman said:

Assuming there is a good reason for the 14 bags, the question would be why the PO used water softener salt instead of much less expensive sand or gravel?

Click to expand...

Because when (not if) the bags break or get torn, salt is a lot easier to get out of the bilge than sand or gravel.