X-ray vision?

[jvitiel]

Hi All,

I have a fair sized list to starboard on my '89 cuddy. I bought it last year and the list was there when I bought it. I assumed that it was due to the batteries that are in the starboard locker by the transom but having moved my 200 pound a$$ back and forth I'm not so sure there isn't more weight on the starboard side that I haven't accounted for. I was planning on moving the batteries to the fish box amidships and probably still will but I can't help but think that I have some wet foam.

I don't want to cut up the deck so I'm wondering just how much access I will have to the suspect foam through the fuel tank cover. I know I can get to some of it through the rod box but I assume I will need more access than that. So my question is if I remove the (poly) fuel tank is there a bulkhead aft of it as marked in the photo and more importantly where are the stringers in relation to the fuel tank and how high up do they go. I'm assuming the suspect foam is in the areas marked A and B in the photo but am not sure. Will I be able to reach those areas with the fuel tank removed or will a stringer and/or bulkhead block my access?

Thanks as always,
John

[bradford]

Should be stringers and bulkhead where you have them marked, your fuel tank hatch looks a lot smaller than mine though. Mine goes all the way back to the splash well and is more rectangular. I would try everything included living with it before I cut a perfectly good deck. Always seems to open a can of worms. Just my opinion, not any kind of expert.

[kamikaze]

jvitiel

Yes, there is a bulkhead forward and aft in the fuel tank area. There is more up room up front than there is back back aft if you look at the fuel tank compartment from above. The stringers/fuel tank area - side walls go all the way up to the floor. Access from the Stbd Rod box provides more sight to the foam than from inside the fuel tank area if I remember correctly.

Have you thought about adding a access hatch under the port live well? If you pull the Port rod box you can see the plywood tray already in place when you look back there similar to what on the Stbd side already ( at least in mine there is) I need to verify clearance, but by eye it looked to me like a could get a battery in there assuming there is enough separation in height between the deck and the bottom of the live well to cut in a hatch with sufficient height for a battery ( if you use a AGM battery you can turn it on its side reducing access clearance even more). At least this would separate the battery weight so its not all on one side. while maintain the fish box, a requirement in mine :-)


Kamikaze
Kamikaze

[jvitiel]

Thanks guys. Sad to hear that the stringers are full height. I doubt that I will be able to do much foam removal from just the rod box access.

Pretty good idea K - I thought about cutting access under the port livewell but for tackle/storage, not battery balancing. I kind of like using the fishbox up front for storage so this might be a better option (plus shorter cables - yea!). From memory I agree that there is probably sufficient height in there.

Thinking about it some more, I'm thinking I'm pretty screwed on loosing the list save cutting the deck which is not gonna happen. I can barely straighten it out by sitting on the port livewell and I'm almost 200 lbs. Moving a 50 lb battery from one side to the other is only a 100 lb shift. Moving two batteries to the centerline as originally planned is no better left to right (although the weight would now be forward which is a plus).

[chart]

my v has the fuel tank in the front compartment. my middle comp. is storage and back is a fish box or live-well. was thinking of putting my batteries in my storage compartment just behind the fuel tank.

[13Echo70271]

jvitiel, Nice rig, very clean V, wish mine was as clean.
You can test the foam from inside the rod box opening with the box removed, if you don't see wet foam you can cut a core sample with a spade bit. Very carefully drill down into the foam from the rod box opening. If you find wet foam, tear it out. If not, seal the hole with new foam and/or sealant.

Maybe more important while you're in there, check to see that your rod holders drain to bilge or deck also. I don't see covers on them.

There is room in the aft port hatch for a battery. It can be placed without any cutting, by removing the bin inside the hatch and reaching down. Get a tray or box and fix to shelf you find inside. If there isn't a shelf you can glass a plywood shelf or use starboard. All install work can be done from above. Adding a hatch makes the work a bit easier, adds access and isn't too expensive, about $35 on ebay.
I'd move a battery there .

Good luck,
Tom