squelch - fuel tank repair recommendation please

[Elessar]

an inch of diesel in the aft cabin was a clue. Mrs E had been complaining about a diesel smell for a while, I should have investigated......

If you have ever removed a tank from a boat you will know what a pain it is. Aft bunks, the water tank, drawers and the cabin door and door frame needed removing. Hidden screws needed finding and glassed in bits needed cutting and grinding. About 12 tubes of sikaflex had been used to hold the tanks in and that had to be cut out. All after pumping out 500 litres of diesel from the tanks (plus about 100 from the bilges and other crevices)

My first ever charter was to be tomorrow. So I worked like a trojan yesterday, got both the tanks out, had the faulty one welded, got it all back in. Not a bad days work. Finally to kip at about 2, up at 5 today to clean the boat thoroughly, lay new carpet etc. The client was not happy about the state of the boat despite assurances i could get it ready and I had given him wiggos number who's boat was available, bit I was determined to be ready for Monday anyway in case that deal fell through.

But at 5 I realised the weld had not done the job. The tank was still leaking.

So I went back to bed until 8, then pumped the diesel out again, 1 tank only this time, removed everything again, and the tank is in my shed.

I need the boat on Friday in tip top clean condition, so would like the tank back on Wednesday so I don't have to rush. I'd like a pro job this time so am looking for a different welder.

Cor that was a very long winded way of saying - who can mend a fuel tank properly, test it properly, and do it quickly, near to Southampton. I think the long winded bit was just hoping for sympathy..........

 

[aquapower]

Have you the alluminium tanks ?
You would be lucky if you get anyone brave enough to weld them anyway, but when they leak they usually get corrosion in more than one place and are scrap.
Have fitted tanks to an S37 not an easy job so best doing it once with new tank.

 

[Elessar]

Have you the alluminium tanks ?
You would be lucky if you get anyone brave enough to weld them anyway, but when they leak they usually get corrosion in more than one place and are scrap.
Have fitted tanks to an S37 not an easy job so best doing it once with new tank.

The water and poo tanks are stainless.
However both fuel tanks are aluminium and dated 2004. (the boat is 1997)

I could live with a new tank if I can have it by wednesday. But I thought just replacing the whole of the base in new aluminium would be possible, cheaper and quicker.

"Not an easy job" is true......

 

[aquapower]

The tanks I changed were alluminium fuel and stainless water, they were full of pin holes where I think moisture had got between tanks and the grp mouding they sit on, not a very good design as there is no way the metal gets any air around it, although at least unlike most sealines you can remove the tanks by undoing everything and not having to alter the structure in any way and then fix it all back again.

Have you tried the fabricators (B.D. marine I think)? Dont know what they are like but they would probrably make you a new tank.

 

[enterprise]

Been there and done that.
I'm afraid the only way to have the originals done quickly is to have them coated, try a Google search for Tank RE-NU which should give you a local dealer who can process them for you.

The only alternative in the long term is to have new tanks made.

 

[Elessar]

The tanks I changed were alluminium fuel and stainless water, they were full of pin holes where I think moisture had got between tanks and the grp mouding they sit on, not a very good design as there is no way the metal gets any air around it, although at least unlike most sealines you can remove the tanks by undoing everything and not having to alter the structure in any way and then fix it all back again.

Have you tried the fabricators (B.D. marine I think)? Dont know what they are like but they would probrably make you a new tank.

Thank you. BD marine have done it for me. They've cut the bottom off and replaced it - in double quick time.

So now a quiz:

Sbd tank - looks OK on the outside - can't really see inside.
Port tank - little bit of pinholing outside, but the inside cratered like the surface of the moon.
BD marine showed me something in the port tank that made me happy that the Sbd tank will be OK. What was it?

 

[Wiggo]

Some sort of foreign body, maybe a nut or bolt that had caused galvanic corrosion?