Dan,

On Silverheels there are 2 baffles (3 sections) in each salon
tank, each of the 3 tank sections with its own round access port
on top, accessible once you remove the sliding plywood bunk piece
(which is a PIA – easier with someone at each end). I drain and
scrub the tanks annually with detergent and bleach and rinse with
a garden hose. I put a T fitting in the tank-to-manifold hoses so
I can re-route to the deep bilge sump when cleaning & draining
the tanks.

Wear a long sleeve shirt when reaching through those access ports
to scrub, or you’ll finish with an ugly chafe rash on your arm.

Tor

Tor, if you have three ports per tank, a PO did that. Pearson only put one
port on the aft end. The problem with the ports Pearson used is that they
are designed for pressure from the outside, not the inside, meaning you
can’t fill the tank without looking at the level.

It’s a stupid design. You should be able to fill until it vents. I
purchased two very expensive retro fit SS inspection plates, and had a
friend cut new ones from the pattern. Some day, I promise to install
them. That will allow the tanks to be filled without leaking through the
stupid inspection plates.

Bob

On Sat, Aug 23, 2014 at 7:34 PM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:

“Painkiller” has only one plastic Bekson inspection port per tank. Both port and stb leaked when filling so I purchased new gaskets for each. They don’t leak when filled that we’ve experienced so far (not much sailing) but the vents make a mess when filling. It’s on the to-do list to route all water tank vents to the fwd sink.
I totally agree with Bob, they should be able to be filled until they vent or overflow on deck.

My tanks all overflow to the bilge.

Pardon the brevity. I’m typing this on my phone and I hate typing on my
phone.
On Aug 23, 2014 7:55 PM, “Page Two via maillist”
wrote:

“Painkiller” has only one plastic Bekson inspection port per tank. Both
port and stb leaked when filling so I purchased new gaskets for each. They
don’t leak when filled that we’ve experienced so far (not much sailing) but
the vents make a mess when filling. It’s on the to-do list to route all
water tank vents to the fwd sink.
I totally agree with Bob, they should be able to be filled until they vent
or overflow on deck.

---

Ken and Vicky # 91……Writing a New Chapter Page by Page in an Old Book.

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Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Bob,

I have those same cheap Pearson ports, and you’re right; I can’t fill the tanks or they’ll leak through them. I replaced the gaskets, but it didn’t help. I’ve just gotten used to it. Maybe next time I’ll buy a Swan.

🙂

http://www.silverheels.us

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

There are watertight ports ( I saw them on an open 40 with water ballast
tanks) but I have stainless ones made to do the job. Now, if I cut the
gaskets, I’m good to go.

Bob

On Sat, Aug 23, 2014 at 8:39 PM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:

I’ll let the engineers argue about whether it is a valid concern, but I
remember Pearson cautioned about overfilling the fiberglass water tanks
because of the danger of bursting the tanks due to the build up of
hydro-static pressure as water moves up in the vent and fill hoses. I’ve
viewed the leaky access ports as a safety valve to mitigate that danger.
I think Bob vented his tanks into the bilge without a vertical column so he
can probably safely seal those ports.

Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com
Sarah’s Blog

On Sat, Aug 23, 2014 at 9:01 PM, Robert Fine via maillist <
> wrote:

What’s an open 40, and do you remember where you saw it and those watertight ports?

Tor

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Wow, live & learn. I never heard that, John. I’ll keep it in mind
if I ever do replace the leaky ports. I guess the key is to
upgrade the overflow vent at the same time.

Tor

Hi Tor,

Here’s the hatch:
http://www.safety-marine.co.uk/Hatches-Deck-and-Inspection/Whale-Henderson-Watertight-Inspection-Hatch-TCL4.htm
I assume it’s available here somewhere. It holds 1.5 bar internal pressure
(about 21psi).

An Open 40 is an ocean racing sailboat. Lots of pictures on the web.

Bob

On Sun, Aug 24, 2014 at 6:51 AM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:

Thanks, Bob. I’m getting, “Oops, Page Can’t be Found (Error 404)” at that URL. However, I Googled those TCL4 ports and found them both in the UK and here. They look very good, but I suspect the raised cap would feel lumpy beneath the settee cushions. You’d think someone would make a flush watertight inspection port for this purpose. If so, I haven’t found them yet.

Speaking of hatches… I’m searching for 4 small (+/- 20″-square), low-profile sliding hatches for my under-construction hardtop bimini so I can access the mizzen boom from the cockpit. Just mentioning it in case anyone happens to know of something like that. Push comes to shove, I may have to fabricate something myself, but would prefer ready-made.

Tor

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

We’ve found that an electric powered power washer, especially if you hook it up to hot water works pretty well for inside the water tanks. Get one with a short or adjustable wand.
Move the cushions first.
Quent

Hi Tor,

You should have enough room above the tank for those hatches.

Bob

On Tue, Aug 26, 2014 at 4:21 PM, quent via maillist <

wrote:

We’ve found that an electric powered power washer, especially if you hook
it up to hot water works pretty well for inside the water tanks. Get one
with a short or adjustable wand.
Move the cushions first.
Quent

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—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Pretty cool, Quent. Here in the country we just use a garden hose
with a reglar (sic) Ace Hardware nozzle on it. The water tower’s
high and the weather’s so damned hot most days, we get
high-pressure hot water from that ole’ hose whether we want to or
not, and the city water has enough chlorine in it to kill
anything that might be growin’ in the water tanks.

“Thank God I’m a country boy!” (John Martin Sommers, John
Denver’s backup band, 1973.)

🙂

By golly, you’re absolutely right, Bob. I was forgetting there’s
a deep space between the top of the tank and the plywood bunk.
Where were those watertight ports again?

http://www.safety-marine.co.uk/hatches-deck-and-inspection/p4000s18/whale-henderson-watertight-inspection-hatch-tcl4.htm
should get it. Or just search for the TC-4 hatches.

On Tue, Aug 26, 2014 at 6:56 PM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:

An excellent article on how to clean and maintain boat and rv fresh water
systems can be found here.

http://doultonusa.com/HTML%20pages/Boats%20and%20RV.htm

Yes I am still lurking here.

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Ah, that was it. Thanks, Bob. £21.95 including VAT (£18.29 ex VAT) and only £3.50 shipping to Mainland UK.

Got it.

🙂

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Seriously, thanks, Bob. Google shows it for sale over here at several places.

Tor

Good information, Thatcher, and glad to see you’re still lurking
about. Their recommendations aren’t too far from what I’ve been
doing except for running the detergent and bleach through the
pipes to the faucets. I never have, but it’s probably a good
idea.

Thanks!

Tor

You’re welcome, Tor, I know you knew that. My sense of humor hasn’t waned
at all.

Bob

Pardon the brevity. I’m typing this on my phone and I hate typing on my
phone.
On Aug 26, 2014 9:42 PM, “Silverheels via maillist”
wrote:

Mine, too, continues unabated, Roberto, albeit sometimes unintentionally abrasive. I may be chuckling at my own wit while someone else is seething at my impertinence. Just one more reason I always dock with the boat’s bow facing outward. Tristan Jones taught me that.

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

That is truly funny, Tor. I have to remember that!

On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 7:26 AM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote: