new member... recent 79 v20 cuddy purchase

[SkunkBoat]

As someone who has replaced a tank on an '84, I would recommend pulling the tank now and getting it over with. It might pressure test ok now and leak gas sometime during the summer with a full 60 gals in the tank.

In hindsight, its not that hard to pull the tank.. When you're doing it, its a pain. When you are done you say "oh thats it?" and you get to see what 30 years of salt does to aluminum. Mine was not leaking but it looked scary down where the foam covered it.

If you pull it and it looks good, it'll be easy to clean out and put back in. And you won't be worried about it.

[billmongold]

good info. it not too worried about it being a pain in the rear to pull the tank. it would be good peace of mind being that my 1 year old daughter will eventually be on board.

dan4836- more info on that poly tank you found, please. and how did it fit?also, what do you guys to hold the tank in after you reinstall it?

[bgreene]

Look forward to seeing it set up - best of luck with it.

[bradford]

Yea, the tank is just a pain in the butt/messy job, not really that hard. I cut most of my foam out with a pressure washer. Mine had holes the size of your fist! I would recommend a new one, or a used good condition plastic/moeller type tank.

[billmongold]

oh i like that pressure washer idea. may get some of the crap out from under the tank as well. id rather find out the tank leaks while the boat is on the trailer than when im miles from home. i dont need a whole lot of range, boat will probably be used primarily for tubing/possible light fishing/ticesmobile. i think tices is like 3 miles from me. im prettymuch across the bay.

if i were to pull the tank and it checks out ok how would i go about re-installing it? what kind of foam do you guys use? and i would probable replace the pvc pipe with a larger diameter one (to help prevent clogs [at least in my mind]) and glass the pipe in around the opening to prevent water from getting into the foam. is that a good idea or would that be a no no?

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by billmongold

oh i like that pressure washer idea. may get some of the crap out from under the tank as well. id rather find out the tank leaks while the boat is on the trailer than when im miles from home. i dont need a whole lot of range, boat will probably be used primarily for tubing/possible light fishing/ticesmobile. i think tices is like 3 miles from me. im prettymuch across the bay.

if i were to pull the tank and it checks out ok how would i go about re-installing it? what kind of foam do you guys use? and i would probable replace the pvc pipe with a larger diameter one (to help prevent clogs [at least in my mind]) and glass the pipe in around the opening to prevent water from getting into the foam. is that a good idea or would that be a no no?

Cut the new hole the same size (just lightly larger) than the pipe, then use 5200 to seal the hole. No need to glass it in, the 5200 will seal it perfectly.

As to the tank, if you're just looking to hold it in place then Great Stuff or any aerosol foam will do. However, if you want the added flotation of the foam, then you'll have to buy one of the kits you can find on eBay made for underdeck flotation. Just remember that ALL foam, no matter what brand or kind, will eventually absorb water and hold it like a sponge. That in turn will add weight to your boat, plus it will rot out any wood under the deck, including your flooring and stringers. So what you really want, is to try with all your might to keep your underdeck area DRY!!!... Seal all cracks, holes (including through the gunnel rod holders) and basically anyplace else you can think of that might let water into the underdeck area.

[billmongold]

That sounds good. Didnt think of using 5200. Ive been thinking a lot lately about fabricating a central drain system like newer vikings have. Its basically 1 1.5 inch length of waste hose run along the port and stbd gunwale, slightly downhill, leading to a through hull aft. You plumb anything you want to drain into the hose. Vikings use it for a/c discharge, bulge pump discharge, shower box discharge, etc. It would work great on our boats for the same reason. Plumb the rod holders and anything else you want in there, install a through hull, and never worry about it again. Ive also been think about building a hybrid self bailing deck/showerbox system where id tee off the self bailing drain hose, install a ball valve, and run it to a showerbox (a sealed box things can drain into with a bilge pump and float switch to pump it out. This way you can drain things low and pump it out to a through hull placed up high). It like to consolidate things and be able to seal the bailers for when my boat is sitting low in the water.

[tartuffe]

http://www.uscomposites.com/foam.html

They sell the foam you would be looking for. You would use a 4 LB foam underneath the tank and 2 LB on the sides. When I set my tank I used some blues styrofoam squares to get the tank at my ideal height and distance from the sides. Then used large clamps to keep the expanding from raising the tank as it expanded.