Impossible Mission: 200 Gallons Diesel Tank Sealing Project

Looks like no chance. The engines room is under the salon which in the middle of the boat. It has very limited access as well. I can only crawl into the engines room to replace the battery and do some touch up painting.
 
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If it where my boat, I would use the best access place (closet you said? )to drill a decent sized hole transfer the fuel from the leaking tank into the other then using a dye fill the tank slowly and use a boroscope (amazon sell ones that plug into your smartphone cheap)

Find the leak, then work from that it may be a leak that's not to hard to get too, or it might be a really awkward place, have done many awkward repair jobs with adapted bendy tools and torches, it's all about ghijkjngmoutside the box!

The baffles should let the fuel level stay constant at the bottom, so you should be able to drain the entire tank from one hole (unless boat tanks work differently to automotive ones!)
 
Travellingwithtoby said:
If it where my boat, I would use the best access place (closet you said? )to drill a decent sized hole transfer the fuel from the leaking tank into the other then using a dye fill the tank slowly and use a boroscope (amazon sell ones that plug into your smartphone cheap)

Find the leak, then work from that it may be a leak that's not to hard to get too, or it might be a really awkward place, have done many awkward repair jobs with adapted bendy tools and torches, it's all about ghijkjngmoutside the box!

The baffles should let the fuel level stay constant at the bottom, so you should be able to drain the entire tank from one hole (unless boat tanks work differently to automotive ones!)
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Forget the bluetooth borescopes as they often have delays between the image being produced and it being seen on the screen, get a non bluetooth type with the large screen and you can get wands up to 10M long, I have the Rotek with 5 and 10M wand and used it again today.
 
oldgit said:
Would suspect that trying to clean the tank in situ is going to fail and be a waste of time and money.
Either the original tank must be removed and plated by welding or at the very least access is needed internally to abrade inner tank surface to enable any sealer a chance to adhere to surface.
Knowing where you are boating ,would be very inclined to simply put union into good tank fuel line and run both engines from it. At 8 KPH. a single tank will probably last aseason at least.
Usingrepair/extract tank at your leisure . ?
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I had a fuel cooler give way and fill the tanks with salt water we managed to get back to port but it was extremely expensive exercise to get a tanker to remove all that fuel and water and for the company to dispose of it - fortunately the boat was well designed and it was easy to fix and clean tanks.

W
 
Have you tried Belzona ? there is few types of Belzona dependant on what you are sealing up. maybe worth a look at or getting in touch with the manufacturer's
I have used it on large chemical tanks on offshore installations good stuff and easy to apply.

Belzona Polymerics Limited
Claro Road, Harrogate, HG1 4DS
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1423 567641
Facsimile: +44 1423 505967

belzona@belzona.co.uk

Jon
 
95% of the hull of the hull of my boat can be inspected visually by the removal of inspection panels.
Many compartments even have additional inspection panels within to get in the hidden nooks and crannies.
You might have to remove an engine to remove and repair a fuel tank but at least its all visible for inspection without the use of a chainsaw.
Water tank is also a simple job to inspect or remove.
The name of this paragon is Princess, suspect Fairline and Broom and most other UK boats are very similar and will have been constructed with the owner in mind rather than the builder.
Worth bearing in mind that its whats underneath that counts rather than the shiny shiny surface ?
 
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jon and michie said:
Have you tried Belzona ? there is few types of Belzona dependant on what you are sealing up. maybe worth a look at or getting in touch with the manufacturer's
I have used it on large chemical tanks on offshore installations good stuff and easy to apply.

Belzona Polymerics Limited
Claro Road, Harrogate, HG1 4DS
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1423 567641
Facsimile: +44 1423 505967

belzona@belzona.co.uk

Jon
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Theres a name I haven't heard for 20 years or more, used to use a lot of it and it was head and shoulders above anything else then.
 
As it is an aluminium tank the leak may have been caused by corrosion so it is essential to cover the entire bottom. As said, the only way to do this effectively is to remove the tank. Cutting a hole in the side won't work as it will be impossible to access the inside for repairing it. Your only option is to dismantle the interior and remove the tank from the inside. If it does done with care the reinstallation of the interior should be invisible.
 
Agreed. After a few more days looking around the structure. I think it is no good to cut the side way. Really only option is dismantle the interior.
 
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