Adding a Second Gas Tank

[BradV]

I am going to put the neck and everything up the side underneath the gunnel so ill have to cut out a little area in the stringer to run the hoses through then build a little 3 sided valance to hide the hoses with pvc and some carpet. The front fill will be directly in between the two windows. and the deck that i cut out is going to go back in to cover that hole. i am going to be putting some strips so the edge has something to sit on then just caulk it in place.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Can you by chance see up under the boxes that are on either side of the cabin floor???

I was thinking of cutting into them to make storage for my collection of spreader bars. Are they foam filled or hollow?? Do the stringers extend up into them?

 

[BradV]

the stringers and bulkheads all go up to the bottom of the deck and are attached using 5200 and nails through the wood and then glassed over on top. I am going to cut into the stringers tomorrow but i am assuming underneat the steps is foam filled considering the engineer told me they were but the middle wasnt supposed to be but who knows. Where would you put storage dont you have a dinette on the port side and a bench on starboard or at least some sort of galley?

 

[Bryan 2530]

I have a galley and dinette, but I was considering cutting into the side of the step to be able to slide things like lines and spreader bars underneath the steps.

 

[BradV]

You shouldnt have a problem putting a access hatch into the step just make sure that you have some sort of backing or else if you put something in there its about 24 inches to the bottom so you probably wont be able to reach it.

 

[BradV]

So around 4 this afternoon i get a call from the guy who made the tank and since it rained today and he couldnt work outside. (hes welding huge plates on an old sailboat) the tank is finished. Well this should be good news. however i tried to put the tank in the hole that was cut only to realize what i thought might happen but hoped wouldnt. So I had to cut the hole to the entire space so the tank would fit in. Which now delays the project at least another day so that i can fiberglass the original cut out and the new one back together. So after cutting the opening bigger i cut my hole from the hole through the stringer to run the hose through. turns out the bulkhead is in the wrong spot again. Oh well i think i have enough room. So now i am back to digging out foam to get to the next stringer where i will have to cut another hole and then connect it to the hole on the side. I have a pic of the tank for now since nothing really looks that different since the last picture. The tank is sitting in front of a 56" tv.

 

[Megabyte]

Sweet looking tank! 8)
Are you going to coat it with coal tar epoxy before installing it?

 

[BradV]

No i talked with the guy who made it and he said he typically does it but since its going in the cabin and getting foamed in he thought it would be a waste of time. I have been debating this for a little bit. but since i am putting a lip on the edge of the hole to put the old deck back down cant i just fill the cut that i made with resin and then gelcoat over it or some sort of putty or do i need to grind it out and lay glass then sand it down then gel coat. seems like resin would hold it?

 

[Bryan 2530]

If you just fill the crack with resin it will come back overtime. The best thing would be to grind and lay glass in then gelcoat over that.

Because it is the cabin floor I would try to hide the repair under some non skid, this way you don't have to fair it as much.

At the very least I would use some sort of resin mixed with milled fiber, that would be stronger than just resin.

Are you going to put some sort of hatch to get to the fittings?

 

[BradV]

Yeah i have some sort of powder stuff that the guy gave me. I would imagine if i turned it into some sort of paste. I cant imagine much glass would end up getting into the hole since it was cut with a grinding wheel. I think ill put an 8" access hole where the fill and vent are.

 

[BradV]

Well its been a few days since ive posted anything. Here is a picture from a few days ago when i foamed in the tank. The foam is awesome. As you can see i got a little carried away but just came back the next day once it was all set up and cut it back to where i wanted it. All of the hoses are hooked up. And wires grounded and run so i am putting the gelcoat back down today and starting the sanding process. Turns out the interior gelcoat isnt as beautiful as the outside so shouldnt be that hard to match. I will hopefully be 100% for the weekend for our Peanut Island day and the Palm Beach Boat Show.

 

[BradV]

Yep nails no screws. It seems like the way they build the boat is they lay the plywood on top of the stringers and bulkheads with the bottom glassed and the top just exposed wood. Hole saw in holes to shoot the 2 part foam in then put the glass on top after. I would imagine with the flex the nails would be more forgiving as they probably keep things in place while the glass and 5200 is setting up more than doing anything once its done.

On another note. Everything is hooked up i will get a picture of the fill, vent, and valves today. But i have one more coat of gel coat to do and then i ordered in a Beckson Ivory 8 x 12 hatch which is large enough for me to get to the sending unit, fill, and vent and reach back for the pick ups. I also have to build the valance which i will snap a photo of the hoses and what i am planning on doing.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Brad, that looks sweet!!

Do you have any pictures of the hole after all the foam was dug out??

 

[BradV]

Alright well aside from cleaning up and a little touch up sanding its done. Took it to the gas station and it holds exactly 90 gallons. Took it out and it sits much more level front to back. The ride is completely different which is what i was hoping for. The bow stays down more now that it did before when i was using full tabs. I have a 12" x 8" Beckson HT1115 Ivory access hatch in the cabin. Very low profile very sturdy seems pretty waterproof so far. I added the valves for both tanks on the fuel filters to help eliminate extra connections and plus it was easier to mount them there. I can switch tanks while the engines are idling without any hiccup in them running. Finally I made a 3 sided cover for where the hoses come out of the deck. I used 3/4" x 3/4" wood to surround the opening and then used resin to seal it up. Then i used 1/2" marine board and Parker Carpet to cover it. The scraps I had left over werent quite wide enough so ill have to add 2" strips on the corners. I checked and dont have any pictures of the hole. But it was pretty big. 30" Across, 23" Tall to the top of the pvc that runs the bilge, and 53" Long. Oh well. Enjoy. Let me know if you guys have any questions. 263 Total Gallons!!!

 

[Megabyte]

Isn't it great when a plan comes together?

 

[BradV]

you have no idea how many obstacles were in the way on this one.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Nice Job!!

 

[grouperjim]

great job.

the 2320 holds 150 gals....i've always thought it would be a good idea to have the single 150 tank divided into two selectable compartments. One chamber forward section 100 gals. And aft chamber 50 gals. i always thought this would be a good way to control CG better.....with the fwd chamber getting most of the use and the 50 gal getting used on long range trips. might also be a way to manage E10 fuels better.

 

[BradV]

thats my plan to mainly use the front tank. Most of the time around Jupiter we run 2 miles offshore to the fishing grounds. So typically only keep 50 gallons or so in the boat. Then when we load up for the Bahamas ill fill up the back as well as the front and burn the back one off first.

 

[Porkchunker]

I'd cover the tank with some kind of coating...epoxy paint etc. Foamed in compartments have a habit of collecting moisture against the tank and causing pitting in the aluminium tanks.

See David Pascoe's site for some guidance: http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm

Dave

aka