Love your old tank/s???

deniseO30 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

Funny.. (well to me it is) and! I must admit, I was reluctant to let go too! but sometimes you just gotta... let go that is

lately on the sailing forums and even in my YC, people are finding leaky fuel and or water tanks. most are metal. most are old. most were not made by the boat builder, Most need replacement.

Things we don't hesitate to replace for example; fuel filters, belts, hoses, halyards, sheets, blocks, mates? Yet when we find a leaky tank.. Oh! woe is me! making multiple posts about fixing them,, getting them cleaned etc,, yet the cost of new tanks is so very low in comparison!

my old tank is going to become two alum. rectangular planters soon.

nk235 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

I don't think it is the cost of the tank that is the problem, but the tough and tricky job of replacing it. On many boats I have seen and especially on mine, I would have to cut out pieces of the teak benches that support the cusions in the main salon which would not be an easy task. Replacing a fuel filter, belt, halyard, etc. takes about 5 minutes. Replacing the tank on my boat would take all day after the cutting, removing, installing new tank plus all hoses and vents, etc.

brak · #3 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

On my boat both water and fuel tanks are fiberglass built directly into the keel. There is no way to replace them, other than rebuilding a boat I suppose. Fortunately, the seem to do fine but if they were not - I doubt there'd be a solution that would be reasonably priced.

Not to jinx it.

peikenberry · #4 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

I think nl235 hit the nail on the head. I have heard far too many horror stories about the task of replacing a tank buried under all sorts of structure, For many years I tried to get ABYC to change the wording of their standard on this to make it easier to get at and replace a tank, without success. The tank is relatively cheap, it's the cost of removing decks and superstructure and then having to replace them that is daunting. In many cases the simplest and cheapest solution is cut a hole in the hull and take the tank out through the hole. But then you have to repair the hole in the hull.

Yes, I have heard people talk about "can I fix my tank?" but I think their real issue is the daunting mess of fixing the boat after replacing the tank.

Cruisingdad · #5 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

Don't do it Denise!!! All your poor little tanks need is a little love. Think of the Beetles song about All We Need is Love. I am sure they wrote that about sailboat tanks.

HEHE!

Brian

PS On a more serious note, there is a Panda around the corner from us that had leaky tanks (typical Taiwanese black iron). Instead of replacing, he was able to coat them with an epoxy. I gotta tell you, I was very skeptical, but it worked!!! For those of you that have access and removal problems, that could be a compromise. Just a thought if you REALLY love your tanks.

Capnblu · #6 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

I like the idea about dropping them out the bottom. Couldn't possibly run into any problems that way.

deniseO30 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-26-2009

Mine has already been changed out! 2 weeks now! even the diesel smell is gone! Loving my boat even more now! Well.. sniff...sob... I loved that old tank too. but out with the old in with the new.. We were armed with sawzalls, prybars, and extra hands, turns out.. the tank came up and out the lazertte, all we did was cut the filler tube off. New one is nice poly, even the new sending unit works on the old guage.