Day

165

 TankTops

&

fuel fill
Today was a good day! Gena needed the top plates cut and ready for the fuel tanks. She instructed as to where all the holes must be and I zipped them off. ( above )
The bolts were welded on from underneath, thus providing a good seal, and the round access plates and nuts after.
She then welded in the fittings and lined them up inset into the tanks.		  
During the week, one evening, we went out and applied the foam for underneath the tanks. We used regular foam-in-a-can stuff, but it was difficult to make it stay down without bubbling up. Eventually we made a good seal over the coal tar. Good thing it's over coal tar and not bare steel!

*This likely won't be our insulating solution as it's just too unreliable. We have been eyeing over the two part stuff. That ( hopefully ) will work much better. We have been told it does.

We have seen the result of "pockets" in foam, especially if the priming or foam breaks down, or worse, if there was no primer or coating.

The bar on the stringers ( dark lines ) has rubber mat glued to it so the tanks won't vibrate against bare steel. This is just "our" way of dealing with a tank on top of the stringers. Not the only way.
The remainder of my day was spent making a port for the fills and pumpout receptacles. This has been a subject of much debate, not only how to place them, but where. At one point we wanted to put all three into the side of the deck steps up to the poopdeck. Then it was in the side of the hull. We weren't to sure what the surveyor might think of that!
The final decision is into the side of the pilothouse towards the front but aft of the bulkhed there.

This means the pumpout must pass through the bulkhead, but that tank is right on the other side, and the aux. water tanks which will be plastic are on the same side as the fill. We likely won't be running the water fill to the forward stainless tanks anyway as we have found out the chlorine in shorewater can damage stainless! Those tanks will be strictly connected to the watermaker.

I wanted some angle inward on the fuel fill particularly to reduce spillage onto the deck, so I decided to inset them....and besides, it looks cool!

 

Gena to the right testing out her placement of fittings. They must be easy to access in a tight area. The clamps on the fittings, or the fittings on the fittings may come loose one day, and must be placed in a way that nothing else interferes with access to them. ( I wish car manufacturers would heed to the same desires! )

Gena is a master at this, I am not (hehe) so that's her job.

Day 165:
7 hours - Made and welded on tank lids and made fuel/water/waste port


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