Continue 200 gallons aluminium diesel tank repair idea to put a few small new tanks inside the big old tank.

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This time with pictures.
The idea is to put a few small new tanks inside the big tank rather than repair the big old tank.

The old tank is under the bathroom floor. The size LxWxH is 220cm x 90cm x 35cm. Too big to remove!

So I am thinking to cut a rectangle whole on the floor under the TV storage place. It will be 80cm x 50cm. Then cut another rectangle whole on top of the tank around 70cm x 40cm. Then thinking to remove the baffle plates inside the tank to make it empty. But that will be a challenge as I don't know how strong the baffle plates will be.

Do you think this is a good idea or bad? Thanks.
 
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Portofino said:
Bad .
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Wot he said. You just gotta bite the bullet and dismantle the boat and repair or replace the tank. 20 odd years ago I had a Fairline 40 and one of the aluminium fuel tanks split a weld. Saloon had to come apart but thankfully I didn't need to take an engine out. Was daunting to take apart (for the chap that did it), but wasn't that hard, and all went back together fine. DON'T BODGE IT!!
 
bad its just a bodge, you are just delaying the inevitable, cross connecting a few small tanks wont be easy and you could end up with weeping joints you cant see or reach. could be a worse problem than you have now!!!
 
Portofino said:
Bad .
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markc said:
Wot he said. You just gotta bite the bullet and dismantle the boat and repair or replace the tank. 20 odd years ago I had a Fairline 40 and one of the aluminium fuel tanks split a weld. Saloon had to come apart but thankfully I didn't need to take an engine out. Was daunting to take apart (for the chap that did it), but wasn't that hard, and all went back together fine. DON'T BODGE IT!!
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Freebee said:
bad its just a bodge, you are just delaying the inevitable, cross connecting a few small tanks wont be easy and you could end up with weeping joints you cant see or reach. could be a worse problem than you have now!!!
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Lucas. Listen to these people and others. Stop thinking about bodges, do the job properly.
 
Removing the baffles is theoretically a good idea but never forget these also give the tank structural rigidity and once removed you lose most of this, you will need lots of joints to connect the tanks and you want as few joints as possible to minimise the risk of leaks, how are you going to secure the new tanks inside the now structurally deficient tank as this will mean lots of movement and certain leakage from the joints.
 
I'm afraid there is only one question that you should ask yourself, and it's NOT what to do with the tank, but what to do with the boat.

I witnessed a boat where, in a situation like yours, the only decent solution to the problem (i.e. take the interior apart, remove the tank - possibly cutting a huge hole on the deck above it, build a new one, replace it, and eventually rebuild the interior and the deck) was deemed more expensive than the whole boat was worth. Consequently, she was scrapped and sold for parts.

I know nothing about the value of your boat of course, so I'm far from suggesting that this is the best option also in your case.
But it's the only realistic alternative to consider.
 
The other thing you have to remember is that the other fuel tank will be in a similar condition and if it isn't leaking yet it may well very soon.

I recently replaced the fuel tanks in my own boat which is a 2004 phantom 40 which involved stripping out the interior and removing the engines just to get to the tanks, I now know the job was done properly and I don't have to worry about dodgy fuel tanks any time soon.
 
Do you have two water tanks , we have , it’s just a though out of the box could you not use the water tanks for the fuel and the fuel for water after a clean , where a small water leak could Be dealt with by bilge pump . K Iam going .
 
gery w said:
The other thing you have to remember is that the other fuel tank will be in a similar condition and if it isn't leaking yet it may well very soon.

I recently replaced the fuel tanks in my own boat which is a 2004 phantom 40 which involved stripping out the interior and removing the engines just to get to the tanks, I now know the job was done properly and I don't have to worry about dodgy fuel tanks any time soon.
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A pig of a job for anyone but you had a slight advantage of patio doors.......think the op’s boat is an aft cabin Searay which makes it somewhat more difficult.
 
Thanks a lot everyone. A lot of good suggestions.

I do realized replacement is a ultimate solution. Just because that involves cutting a big hole on the hull or take down the bathroom, so trying to avoid. By the way, comparing cut a hold and remove bathroom. Which option will be easier and cheaper?

The swapping a water tank idea also interested me as I have a 100 gallons water tank onboard.
 
I know the op's boat well as he purchased it from friend of mine. He has the advantage of not having to remove engines to access like on most boats, with some stripping of the aft cabin the tank will come out.

An expensive job if you have to engage the services of others to do the work.
 
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Lucas Gan said:
Thanks a lot everyone. A lot of good suggestions.

I do realized replacement is a ultimate solution. Just because that involves cutting a big hole on the hull or take down the bathroom, so trying to avoid. By the way, comparing cut a hold and remove bathroom. Which option will be easier and cheaper?

The swapping a water tank idea also interested me as I have a 100 gallons water tank onboard.
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I hope you new about the tank before you bought the boat.
 
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