New 3" Trident #252 Exhaust Host

With good reason it seems I dreaded removing the wet exhaust hose. Resorting to a to grinder with a cutoff wheel isn't exactly an elegant solution. The replacement will have to be more flexible than the old hose. 23' of Trident Corrugated #252 seems to fit the bill.

After leaving the through-hull the exhaust hose loops up into the bulwark before going forward to the wet muffler.

After 24 years the hose has become very stiff. To try and extract it I pushed up on the hose's near side while pulling down on the rope attached to the far side.

Looking up into the void. This shot was taken after the hose refused to move any farther. The fiberglass is narrower in the center section and the hose is pinched in place.

After the hose jammed at the top of the loop, a grinder made the 'extraction' easier albeit messier.

LNVT Fuel Tanks

Got a $3,550 quote from Luther's, Bristol, RI, for the four tanks made of 1/8" 5052 aluminum. Bud Luther, who built Sally W's tanks, redesigned them to be easier to make and also reduced each tank's height by 1/2". Some of this 1/2" space will be used by plastic strips attached to the bottom of the tanks; the idea being to keep the aluminum away from any water.

 The LNVTs original mild steel tanks are 14ga or .0747" thick. Aluminum weighs 1/3 as much as steel. So, tanks made from 1/8" aluminum weigh 44% less than those made of 14ga mild steel. Similarly, a tank made of 3/16" aluminum would weigh 16% less than if made from 14ga mild steel. 3/16" aluminum is about four times the price of 14 ga mild steel.

A tooth pick marks the hole. At the point of failure corrosion is evident both inside and outside the tank.

The location of the leak became obvious after pressurizing the aft port tank to 3 psi.

It took 13.5 Hours To Remove the Fuel Tanks

The last fuel tank, port forward, came out today. It was the most difficult to extract for several reasons: it's under the settee and galley cabinet; the fixed-sole extends over the port tanks more than the starboard; this tank has the most floor joists bearing on it—therefore it's the tightest fit; and, the fiber-glassed-in packing gland support gets in the way. I'd been warned by Allan Seymour, Sally W. (42), that this might happen. The yard took his support out and all the fiberglass grinding left quite a mess. The tank, which must be brought aft and then slid athwart into the Starboard aft tanks old slot, jams under the settee. I used a hydraulic car jack to lift the settee. With the settee elevated a little the tank was worked aft until it's forward inboard edge cleared the bearing.

 There is lots of rust on this tank but its confined to specific areas. As with the other tanks the worst spot is along the length of the fiberglass band used to hold the in. There were three rusted regions on the tank's top: under the refrig; under the galley window; and under the middle window.

 3:54 hours labor today and 13:29 hours to remove the fuel tanks.

Use Tide to Degrease a Fuel Tank

With a neighbor's help the aft port fuel tank is off the boat.

John Olsen, S/V Daydreamer, recommends using Tide to clean out the tanks—that's what he used in the Alaskan oil patch. John also noted that if aluminum tanks are used, the LNVTs copper fuel lines and manifold can still be used but a stainless fitting will needed to be used to prevent any direct copper-to-aluminum connections. Aluminum tanks would indeed be lighter as mild steel is three times heavier than aluminum. Need to pressure check the repaired tanks (at no more than 3 psi).

 1:00 hours labor today and 6:45 hours to date

Fuel Tank Removal Day #2

Fuel tank replacement project day #2. Using a vibratory cutter (like the Fein Multimaster) it took about 50 minutes to cut the fiberglass away from the tank. Once free the tank slid inboard pretty easily. The exhaust hose makes it impossible to get the tank out. Removing the exhaust hose from the muffler and then running it along the starboard cabinets means there's room to get the tank out. Noticed some small cracks along the top of the exhaust hose but underneath was some major damage. It'll have to be replaced.

 Things needed:

•  23' of 3" I.D. Marine Exhaust Hose 
• 17.5' of 1.5" I.D. Marine Fuel Hose (from deck plates to tanks) 

After a total of 2:00 hours work today, and 4:40 hours total, the starboard aft tank is out. Bicki and I were able to muscle it onto the stern and then with a friend's help we got it off the boat. So far moving the tanks off the boat has been the hardest part of the job.

After another 0:55 hours, mostly to cut the fiberglass and reroute some wires, the aft port tank is free and now sits in the space once occupied by the aft starboard tank.

 3:05 hours labor today and 5:45 hours to date.

Just as Tommie Chen said, the tanks can be removed

With the fiberglass removed it's obvious that there was some corrosion going on here

The aft port tank after it has been moved into the already removed aft starboard tank's space. It's ready to be stood on edge and moved off the boat

Fuel Tank Removal Day #1

Fuel tank replacement project day #1. To help others in the fleet I'll keep track of the labor hours it takes to do this project. The stern two tanks are already empty of fuel. Step one is to pull up the floor boards. I've got a feeling this project will breed many others as all ready I can see that the sound dampening insulation under the floor boards can use some work. Next the floor joists are removed. The Phillips stainless screws holding the joists down strip-out easily. I used a Dremel tool with a small grinding wheel to cut a slot into several of the screws. Two of the joists couldn't be removed at all; one goes under the refrigerator while the other goes under the settee. If necessary they can be cut, but I think the tanks will slide under them. In two places wood blocks were wedged between a joist and a fuel tank. The blocks were of different thicknesses and it appears Ocean Eagle Yachts used these to level out the floor. Fuel lines were removed next.

Some thoughts: The least risk approach for tank replacement is not to start over with a new material and installation method, but to build on the 25+ year history. In fact, by repeating what worked and striving to eliminate the causes of the exterior tank corrosion, there's reason to believe the tanks will last longer than 25 years. Here's how I think our tanks are failing, water leaking by a deck fastener, because the fastener missed the deck batten, is getting beneath the tank and then pooling behind the fiberglass tab holding the tank in place.

2:40 hours labor today and 2:40 hours to date.



The Multimaster is the right tool to cut the fiberglass away from the tanks.



The wet exhaust hose is up tight against the aft starboard tank. It will be disconnected from the muffler and moved out of the way.


Picture of the salon looking aft. All the floor boards are removed and a few of the joists too.

Balmar ARS-5 Smart Regulator Replacement

Replaced the Balmar ARS-5 alternator regulator with a new one. The old one's potting had cracked and Balmar gave us an RMA for a replacement. When the replacement comes it'll be kept aboard for a spare.