no water tank will fit. suggestions please

[viago]

hi, i know nought about boating but bought one off ebay and it needs work it is a long keeled hurley 27. originally the tank went under the hatchway steps which is where i would like it to go. the space is approx 500 x 500x 200mm high.
by my calcs this should take a 50 litre, or 10 gal tank but there is nothing on google.
thought about putting a polythene 25 litre jerry portable in there and trying to make holes in it for connectors but its not ideal and will probably leak - my wife dont let me touch household plumbing any more!
i would be grateful for suggestions bearing in mind my names not rothschild.
thanks.

 

[Evadne]

I would say the most likely options are:

1) Get someone to make a plastic one to fit the space. Tek Tanks is one, they're not as cheap as a collapsible water container from poundland but not ridiculously expensive for that size. They also make some standard sizes, and all the fittings, worth ringing and asking.

2) Get someone to make a stainless steel one to fit the space. Probably more expensive.

3) Make one yourself. You can buy the plastic and weld it, or the stainless steel for that matter but if you could, I'm guessing you wouldn't be asking. The alternative would be a grp one, quite an ambitious project for your first go at grp moulding.

4) Make a wooden box to fit, and get a flexible tank. Probably the cheapest "professional" option, but they're not without their problems: they don't last forever (they wear as they move) and overfilling can be disastrous.

I'd go with No. 1 myself, once done you need never touch it again, and it won't leak.

 

[sarabande]

caravan water tanks are a cheaper option than chandlers.

start here ?
http://www.caktanks.com/CAK - Products.htm

or Plastimo, but this one is a bit big.

http://www.force4.co.uk/772/Plastim...google&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=pid772

 

[Evadne]

I agree, a caravan tank is like a boat tank, only cheaper.

 

[vyv_cox]

I use CAK (sarabande's first link) a great deal, their stuff is always cheaper than the equivalent in a marine outlet. They are completely reliable, helpful, and market a huge range of water tanks.

 

[viago]

thanks so much guys. i think ive found a 36 l tank to fit on the cak site "sarabande's first link". no price though so please keep posting any other solutions you may think of as im somewhat keen on penny pinching!

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

hi, i know nought about boating

Seemingly enough though to tell me it was partly my fault that another boat fell on mine in the yard in your reply to "Insurance advice after a C*** day" thread.
C_W

 

[sailorman]

Seemingly enough though to tell me it was partly my fault that another boat fell on mine in the yard in your reply to "Insurance advice after a C*** day" thread.
C_W

 

[viago]

Seemingly enough though to tell me it was partly my fault that another boat fell on mine in the yard in your reply to "Insurance advice after a C*** day" thread.
C_W

knowing nought about boats does not preclude me from knowing about insurance, risk and duty of care! if you wish to discus the matter further then i suggest we do do so in the appropriate place.
to post on this thread is, at best, churlish and probably a childish reaction to a post of something other than sympathy.
grow up.

 

[maby]

Get a Plastimo flexible tank - they come in several sizes and will fit into most spaces. They probably do not last as long as a solid tank, but we had a couple that were perfectly successful for a couple of years - were still fine when we sold the boat and still are, as far as I know.

 

[viago]

yep, i checked them out at my local chandlers but baulked at £53 for a glorified plastic bag. besides, the only one to fit was 70 litres and 700 x 700 x 250mm high. i had visions of me filling it to capacity and damaging the enclosure. it might be ok though if dont over fill.
i am glad to hear it was great for you. thank you

 

[chewi]

Get a Plastimo flexible tank - they come in several sizes and will fit into most spaces. They probably do not last as long as a solid tank, but we had a couple that were perfectly successful for a couple of years - were still fine when we sold the boat and still are, as far as I know.

mines been 13 years now...

 

[V1701]

Plastimo flexi tanks have a bad rep, Vetus flexis are supposed to be a lot better, what I've read others saying about them, not my experience but I did have a Jeanneau with a 20 year old 100 litre flexi tank that was absolutely fine. Vetus flexi tanks e.g. here (£150 for a 70L one)...

 

[GrumpyOldGit]

Plastimo flexi tanks come as standard in a lot of the Jeanneau Merry Fishers and as long as they are kept out of sunlight will last well over a decade. especially the canvas covered variety. Easiest and cheapest way out for budget boating. PS. to keep the tank fresh add a capful of Milton baby bottle cleaner at the start of the season . It is non toxic (I think ) and stops stinky pipework too !

 

[viago]

perhaps, i should have been clearer when i said my names not rothschild, it is in- fact steptoe!
realistically my budget for the tank is between £7 and £11.50, if this helps.
i was furtlling beneath decks today and found the pipe that leads from the filler point. omg its bloody elephant tubing. id imagine i could fill a 50 litre tank in less than a nano second through that. i want a 22mm inlet. is there a converter or do i get a 2" tank inlet thingy? please help. thanks

 

[Tranona]

yep, i checked them out at my local chandlers but baulked at £53 for a glorified plastic bag. besides, the only one to fit was 70 litres and 700 x 700 x 250mm high. i had visions of me filling it to capacity and damaging the enclosure. it might be ok though if dont over fill.
i am glad to hear it was great for you. thank you

Welcome to the world of boating. That is cheap for a water tank as you will discover, even if you go to a caravan shop and find a rotationally moulded plastic tank with fittings to fit the space. Vetus do a 40L tank that is 460*350*290 but you will need to allow for fittings on top.

Couple of observations. That size tank is hardly worth bothering with and you might be better off using cans. The location you suggest is also not ideal - usually tanks are low down such as under bunks. You can then get a much bigger size in - 100litres+ but the shape of the space precludes the simple cheap retangular tanks. Custom shaped tanks are very expensive - I have just had a quote for nearly £700 for a shaped 130L tank. The Plastimo tanks are perfectly adequate and they fill the space that you have up to their maximum capacity. Vetus flexible tanks as already suggested are arguably better, but they are around twice the price.

 

[claymore]

Stick with the original plan of jerrycans.
Nothing else for it with that budget. Caravan and camping shop would cost the least

 

[viago]

Welcome to the world of boating. That is cheap for a water tank as you will discover, even if you go to a caravan shop and find a rotationally moulded plastic tank with fittings to fit the space. Vetus do a 40L tank that is 460*350*290 but you will need to allow for fittings on top.

Couple of observations. That size tank is hardly worth bothering with and you might be better off using cans. The location you suggest is also not ideal - usually tanks are low down such as under bunks. You can then get a much bigger size in - 100litres+ but the shape of the space precludes the simple cheap retangular tanks. Custom shaped tanks are very expensive - I have just had a quote for nearly £700 for a shaped 130L tank. The Plastimo tanks are perfectly adequate and they fill the space that you have up to their maximum capacity. Vetus flexible tanks as already suggested are arguably better, but they are around twice the price.

thanks for your post. the position - beneath the entrance steps is just on the bilges and midline which is why i like it. maybe an unplumbed jerrycan would be better given the size, but i bought a new sink at southampton boat show and would like to have it working- didnt realise the costs involved then! want a sink? lol.
£700, i reckon a water waller would be cheaper. what you got? brittania?

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

caravan water tanks are a cheaper option than chandlers.

start here ?
http://www.caktanks.com/CAK - Products.htm
QUOTE]

Thanks for this link.
When you look at the amount of choice of things in general on the caktanks website it's sad that so many boats are having such basic gear.

 

[Tranona]

£700, i reckon a water waller would be cheaper. what you got? brittania?

A 130L tank is a pretty common size in a mid 30's foot cruising boat - I have two, one at 150L and the other at 130L in a 37 footer. Typically to get that kind of capacity in a boat the tank has to be shaped to fit a "boat shape" space - that is tapered, often in two dimensions and incorporate baffles and inspection hatches. It also has to be sufficiently strong to keep the water inside.

The aft tank was made at the factory using a process called rotational moulding which is what the simple tanks also use. Complex shapes need special tooling so there needs to be volume to keep unit cost down. For various reasons the front tank is custom made, which would normally be stainless, aluminium or welded plastic. That is what costs £700 - in plastic as This is probably the best material. Fortunately I was able to repair the stainless tank that had sprung a leak so avoided the £700. My alternative was a Plastimo triangular flexible which is around £80 as I would only use the extra capacity when on long passages.