That must have hurt to watch them cut JT.

I was at the Giant game when they did it, that hurt even more.

Redskins only one game back now!

Interested in this thread since my boat is a 2003. If I have to change my tank I have to take off the T-top and the console to get access.

Man that sucks! Hope it all works out for ya JT! Good luck...

Sam and I were able to cut the foam away from the tank and bulkhead with a long hand saw. It came out pretty easily in large chunks. We got the tank moving a little.

Next step is to cut rear bulkhead, slide tank back, and lift it out. Added photos above.

The rear bulkhead was cut and we needed to haul the boat in order to get the tank out. The tank was removed on Saturday with a fork lift, and the results were shocking.

The bottom of the tank was completely corroded. There was no drain under the tank despite their being a threaded drain in the rear bilge. It seems that the drain hole from tank area to rear bilge was never drilled out. My fuel tank had been resting in a bed of salt water that built over the last 10 years.

With no way to drain it and no way to inspect it without cutting the deck open, the problem was not avoidable. This has me infuriated.

The new tank is going to be installed properly with ample drainage, without foam to trap moisture, and supported with heavy duty straps that will allow plenty of air circulation to avoid an future corrosion.

That sounds an awful lot like a manufacturing defect, Have you contacted Proline? I would, before I went to much further in the rebuild.

Footy, We are in the process of doing that. The insurance company wants everything left as is until they see it. They told me they would be contacting the manufacturer as part of the process as well.

Thanks

JT

Good luck with Proline they should make good for it

I had the same thing JT but mine failed in a little less than three years. Once the tank was out there was very bad corrosion, hundreds of pin holes in the bottom of the tank. Almost looked like barnacles on the bottom of the tank but it was salt and corrosion. The manufacturer at the time claimed NMMA and ABYC standards. Plus it was not installed according to USCG regulations. The insurance company went after the manufacturer due to not being properly installed and fraudulent claims of being made to a higher standard. My insurance ended up paying for repairs due to manufacturer defect. But only after a couple of months of registered and certified letters to the manufacturer and insurance company. The manufacturer refused all the letters and all of our phone calls, so the insurance company eventually paid the claim.

Thanks for sharing the story Joe, I can see the same thing happening in this case..

Joe - I'm curious, what manufacturer was that?

Sea Sport, the one from Bellingham Washington. They made primarily pilothouse boats.

I went through the same thing two years ago. Tank was foamed in and corroded because of the foam. True World did not do a thing and the insurance company would not cover it because it was corrosion. I now have different insurance. Good luck

I was trying to think of the technical term the other day but it escaped me. But it now just popped into my head. The technical term for the corrosion when in contact with another surface is crevice corrosion. That was what the surveyors called it for my claim.

As I mentioned, the drain to the rear bilge was never drilled out below the tank holding area. The tank has been sitting in salt water that has built up over the 10 years since buying the boat new.

In addition to that problem, the grounding wires to the tank were not connected, and other electrical issues led to instant and constant electrolysis. The bottom of the tank looks like swiss cheese. 100s of tiny holes, plus 2 the size of nickels. Those 2 holes poked through like wet toilet paper when the tank was pulled out.

We are so fortunate that those 2 holes stayed clogged enough by the corrosion on our last trip before the tank started to leak into the bilge. If not, 150+ gallons would have leaked out. Going to post some pictures later. The insurance company has done the right thing by me. I can't say enough about the customer service and communication that I have received from Travlers.......

JT

wow!!go get some powerball tickets!!!no ground hookup!!!i take it you had a separate ground for your fuel gauge?? thank god things ended up the way they have,that was a very big boom just waiting to happen!!!i wonder how high of an volt reading that tank had because it turned into a wet cell battery!!!

Who is making your new tank.

Jak, separate ground for the fuel gauge and fill hose. I was told no ground on the tank.

Barry, Patriot Marine in Forked river is making the new tank.

Thanks I'll be opening my deck in spring. Hoping not to smell any thing. What kind of turnaround time to make it

JT, I hope they do a better job for u than they did on mine. They had both of my tanks in their possession prior to working on my replacement tanks. Got new ones & had to shim & drill new mounting holes as welded brackets were just not EXACTLY where the old ones were. Good Luck !

BOB J

I also had the same problem with mounting as Bob, had to drill new holes in their brackets and also make new mounting blocks in the boat.

thanks for the input guys......

The new tank is finished, and I was very happy with the work at Patriot marine. I also talked to Paul about building an anchor tree for my pulpit. This will provide a dual anchor system that will me to keep both anchors stored securely in the bow.

The plan for the new tank is to build 2 fiberglass stringers to support the new tank. This will allow air to completely surround the tank and allow for proper draining into the rear bilge. Unfortunately, this is how it should have been done in the first place.

I feel a lot better now that we are putting things back together verses ripping stuff apart and cutting open decks.......

Good to hear everything is going as planned J.T.

I tried to add photos, but due to the age of the post, I was not able to. The fuel tank is installed and it fit like a glove. Fiberglass stringers support the new tank about 3 inches above the original floor so the tank is completely surrounded by air. New drain holes were drilled to empty into the bilge, and thick rubber padding was glued to the bottom of the tank to add cushion between the stringers and the tank.

Glassed pressure treated wood was added as support under the portion of the deck that was cut, and now it's time for fiberglass work on the deck. We replaced all fill and fuel hoses as well as adding all new grounding wire. The work was done right and hopefully will last for the life of the boat.

As soon as I get a firm splash date, I will post 2016 Charter Rates and Open Boat Dates.

JT