Fuel tanks

[Komreddi]

Hello fellow albin owners. I have a 1983 Albin Sundeck 43 with a rusted fuel tank. I was wondering if anyone has ever replaced the fuel tanks by cutting a hole in the side of the boat or was there another way. If not I will try to keep you all posted on my success .......or other,lol.

[jleonard]

I have not done that..(knock on teak).
However a friend who is on the hard behind me in Ct just replaced his tanks on his Defever 44. He took all his hatches out and he and a yard guy cut his tanks apart after pumping the fuel into 55 gal drums using a standard sawsall. (buy lots of blades).
Then they measured the largest size that would fit thru his center front window (largest opening on the boat), made a carboard mockup to make sure it could be manoevered into place, and had 2 tanks made out of aluminum. Capacity is less (by quite a bit) but with twin 120 Lehmans who needs all that fuel anyway.
Then he had new attachments made to the existing stringers to hold the new rectangular tanks (origninal tanks were curved to match the hull shape).
Then it was a matter of bolting them down, plumbing, and trying to remember where everything went.
A big job to say the least, but taken one bite at a time not the end of the world.
Good luck.

PS he replaced both tanks

[Despacio]

Cut mine out in place, made wood patterns, two smaller tanks on each side, manifolded together, that go in and out the available space.

No need to remove the engine or cut any large holes. In fact you are better off making them easily removable. There are photos and description of the work on another thread.

It was fairly easy, and not that expensive.

[Komreddi]

I managed to get one side of my boat cut out and the old tank removed , now that its done I realized it was , bar none the best way I could possibly do this particular job,and when it's done the resale value will not be compromised because I will use the best of boat finishing people available to me. I will be removing the port side tomorrow .i really don't know why I was so concerned , it's not that bad at all.

[DougSea]

So how about so photos of the surgery? I'd love to see this. You're a braver man than me!

[normntwrk]

On my friends 36 we also cut out the tanks in place and replaced with 2 smaller poly tanks manifolded together. Not a fun job but sure beat cutting the hull.
Norm

[Despacio]

I managed to get one side of my boat cut out and the old tank removed , now that its done I realized it was , bar none the best way I could possibly do this particular job,and when it's done the resale value will not be compromised because I will use the best of boat finishing people available to me. I will be removing the port side tomorrow .i really don't know why I was so concerned , it's not that bad at all.

To me, a couple of hours with a sawzall has to be easier, and cheaper. No doubt, you can do just about anything with fiberglass, though.

You might consider making the new ones easily removable because you might have to and now is the time.

[Despacio]

On my friends 36 we also cut out the tanks in place and replaced with 2 smaller poly tanks manifolded together. Not a fun job but sure beat cutting the hull.
Norm

Sounds very close to what I did, except I had custom tanks made to fit the contours of the space, because that was what was there. If I were doing it again I might use square tanks off the shelf, mounted on platforms. I wouldn't have much less fuel capacity than I have and the whole thing could be done in a weekend for a couple of hundred instead of a couple of thousand.

I got some great advise from the guy who I hired originally (been doing fuel systems for 50 years) to clean my tanks. I have zero problems with a very workable system that avoids all of the problems I read about here and elsewhere.

For a temporary fuel system I used one 25 gallon plastic tank. I could easily have put several on each side, designating one as a day tank and pumping fuel as needed from the others.

There's lots to be said for moving your diesel around, it does not like to sit.

[psneeld]

Cut mine out...took about 5 days of cutting as the sawzall would overheat....Then making the shelves for the new tanks to sit on and painting/installing took another 2 days. Granted...not full 8-10 hour days but still hard work moving around and in and out of the bilge...(a helper would have reduced the time greatly). Living aboard while doing it slowed things down...especially the complaints of the diesel fumes till everything was out and clean.

Cutting would have gone a lot faster had I removed the deck support columns...but living aboard made that less of an option to me. The other slowdown was the starboard side where the steering and water lines run close to the back of the tank. Made for more cuts and that tank took 3X longer than the port. Had I had the time to replace the steering and water lines immediately (which I plan to do anyway)...that tank would have been easier too.

When I cut the tanks out...even though they were rusty as all get out on the outside...I never saw one spot where rust was even 1/10 of the way through the metal.

It's OK with me though.....the sludge buildup was getting deep and having lot's more engine room storage will make the project worth it.

I am replacing with 2 58 gallon Moller tanks at around $350 a piece, the 116 gallons will give me a over 300NM range with a small reserve.

[jleonard]

I don't think 116 gal would be ebough for me. I only base that on my summer cruises. 300 NM is not enough range to make me happy. I already went more than that in a week.
I think I'd want at least 200 gallons.

[psneeld]

While I wanted 200 gallons too...just not able to find a source of tanks that would work that was in my budget (both time and money).

If I find 100 gallons too little (which I doubt I will in the cruising pattern I'm in right now)...I'll fabricate some custom epoxy/glass tanks that take better advantage of the tank space left over. The extra storage room in the engine room right now seems to be a BIG plus over the need to fuel less than once a week.

I also may find room for a plain jane "day tank" of 30 gallons or so which would add another 100 miles to the 300 mile cruising range (for me that would only be 2 fill ups between NJ and Key West)

[mudskipper]

I just got back from north Jersey Shrewsbury River, city Island, and Port Jefferson. Three days . I have two hundred gallon Muellers and went up and back on 75 Gallons of diesel. No fuel stop. did have easy conditions, and shot the right tide thru East River at 15 kts outbound. Going home 7 kts in moderate tidal. Neat to drive your boat down the middle of new york.

[jleonard]

My recent E river trip was bucking the current making 2 knots while watching a body being recovered by the fire dept. Not fun.

[Komreddi]

I have the fuel tanks replaced and sides put back in the boat. I am cruising again with the new perspective . I don't have to worry about rusty tanks anymore .the operation was a success .

[DougSea]

the operation was a success .

Glad to hear it!

Any photos of the operation? Would love to see it!