Hi all
I am new to the forum and Sadly, between trawlers.
In an effort to rectify this situation I am negotiating on a 1998 N46. As it turns out, this boat has steel tanks (pre Hull 68) and I am wondering how concerned I should be.
In an effort to be proactive can anyone offer any information on dealing with corroded tanks on this model?
Can they be removed through the salon floor and cockpit door (after removing the engine of course)?
Are there any reliable methods of repairing/treating the tanks in place?
What would a ball park figure be to replace the tanks on this boat?
Thanks in advance.
Hi there. We currently own a 1985 Passport 42 sailboat. Built in Taiwan. Tanks are fiber glassed over the steel. The usual issues regarding rust or sediment are condensation getting into the tanks. Or deck leaks from the fill following down to the top of the tank and rotting the fitting. Our boat has not had an issue. Some both power and sail of this era have.
Keep them "pressed" full with fuel especially in the winter. Fuel oil prevents rust. Drain off the bottoms. We have bottom drains and top fuel pickup. Some owners in our group have had a pin hole rusted at the weld seams. Some members of our group used an aircraft sealant made for tanks to seal all the seams and to coat the interior of fuel tanks in airplanes. This was done to a few leaking tanks which were on 1980' boats made of mild steel. Worked successfully with no loss of volume.
From a forum member from our group:
"They had some pitting too in the bottom of the tank where water had sat and a fairly large hole in one of the corners. So I first had used JB weld to patch the known hole in the corner where I could stick a screwdriver through. I was worried about longevity because the tank is the one in the keel with both sides glassed to the hull so likely to flex and work some.
I used two different 3M products, I'm not sure exactly which ones they were. I think the letter is for viscosity with A being the thinner and B being thicker.
The first was thick like a caulk which i used to seal all the seams like this:
https://www.skygeek.com/3m-aerospace-ac-236-class-b-non-sag-polysulfide-fuel-tank-sealant.html
The second was a bit thinner, brushable, but self levelling which I used to coat the insides.
https://www.skygeek.com/3m-aerospace-ac-350-a-2-gray-sealant-2-oz-kit.html
Also, I could only get to one side of the tank because of the baffle, so I had to cut a hole in the top and add an inspection plate to the other side.
I still want to do my other tanks at some point as a preemptive solution."
Hope this helps one with a leaky steel tank.
John