Forums › General Discussion › Value of forward water tank
- This topic has 24 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 9 months ago by
Anonymous.
-
AuthorPosts
-
-
January 23, 2012 at 7:53 pm #68499
kalinowski
ParticipantI’ve been considering modifying the space under the v berth by converting it from water to storage. I was wondering if anyone else had done this and how they utilized this space (ground tackle perhaps?).
I may be naive, but I believe the side tanks (60 gallons each) and a water maker will meet most of my planned cruising needs here in the
Sandwick Isles.Questions:
1. How will this affect boat trim?
2. Any structural issues?
3. Has anyone else done this and how was the space utilized?
Mahalo
Dan Kalinowski
Jolly Lama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 23, 2012 at 8:10 pm #78133
Anonymous
Dan,
By all appearances, Silverheels’ forward water tank has never been used.
Certainly it hasn’t since I”ve owned the boat. I plumbed it into the
boat’s system when I re-did things a few years ago, but only because I
was in the bilges anyway and had a spare length of new hose handy. As it
is, my boat is slightly bow-heavy. Adding 400 lbs of water forward would
only exacerbate the imbalance. I’ve thought of cutting that tank open to
use the space for storage, but haven’t so far. There may well be some
structural value to its solid top traversing the hull as it does, but
that’s just a guess.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 23, 2012 at 8:27 pm #78134
kalinowski
ParticipantThanks Tor. Where you dropping the hook these days?
Dan Kalinowski
Jolly Lama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 23, 2012 at 8:50 pm #78135
Anonymous
I’m anchored in Las Salinas, Dominican Republic (south coast), waiting
for the wind will ease off a bit before I continue west.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 23, 2012 at 9:24 pm #78136
unabated
ParticipantHere’s my strategy.
I have my water maker (35gph) plumbed into my Port and Bow Tanks.
I use the Stb tank as a back up (in case Sh*t happens).Currently in Thompson Bay on Long Island. Working my way down the Jumentos to the Ragged Island.
Alan
UNABATED
— On Mon, 1/23/12, Silverheels wrote:Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 23, 2012 at 9:27 pm #78137
joe shimkonis
ParticipantHow hard would it be to convert it to a fuel tank?
________________________________
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Joe Shimkonis
-
January 23, 2012 at 9:49 pm #78138
Anonymous
Probably not hard at all, although I’d first seek some knowledgeable
advice about storing diesel fuel in a fiberglass tank. Might be wiser to
cut that forward tank out and install a proper (aluminum?) tank in its
place. For sure our boats could use more fuel capacity. I haven’t
pursued it because I live aboard and I’m leery of introducing any kind
of diesel odor into the forward end of the boat. Also, as I said, I have
a trim issue, probably caused by too much ground tackle.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 23, 2012 at 11:12 pm #78139
madsailor
ModeratorDiesel fuel doesn’t affect fiberglass or resin. Other than making the
fittings better, you should be good to go.Bob
I’m not being terse. This is from my mobile.
On Jan 23, 2012 4:50 PM, “Silverheels” wrote:Quote:Probably not hard at all, although I’d first seek some knowledgeable
advice about storing diesel fuel in a fiberglass tank. Might be wiser to
cut that forward tank out and install a proper (aluminum?) tank in its
place. For sure our boats could use more fuel capacity. I haven’t
pursued it because I live aboard and I’m leery of introducing any kind
of diesel odor into the forward end of the boat. Also, as I said, I have
a trim issue, probably caused by too much ground tackle.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 23, 2012 at 11:23 pm #78140
Anonymous
Well, then, there’s your knowledgeable advice. Thanks, Bob.
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 23, 2012 at 11:59 pm #78142
kalinowski
ParticipantThis may be another alternative to pulling the engine to R & R the existing tank after the dreaded pinholes appear. Then just cut up and pull the old fuel tank.
Dan Kalinowski
Jolly Lama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 24, 2012 at 12:09 am #78144
Anonymous
Maybe, but for cruising the boat needs more fuel capacity, not less.
Better, perhaps, to do both; add another tank AND replace the leaky
original.IMHO,
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 25, 2012 at 8:08 pm #78145
kalinowski
ParticipantSounds like a few good ways to use the forward tank space. Has anyone actually cut an access to the tank? Have you noticed any strange spider marks on the hull after? Looking for experience here. As they say, “measure twice, cut once”.
Dan Kalinowski
Jolly Lama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 25, 2012 at 8:56 pm #78146
Anonymous
Dan,
My forward tank already has an inspection port in the top. If I were
going to convert it to a storage locker, I’d cut a bigger, framed access
hatch into it, but not cut away the whole top or even half. That solid,
wall-to-wall span of ‘glass has to be structurally reinforcing the hull
in an area of these boats already known to be under-built. I wouldn’t
remove it.MHO,
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 26, 2012 at 1:18 am #78147
kalinowski
ParticipantThanks for your insights Tor. Heading to Bocas for H season?
Dan Kalinowski
Jolly Lama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 26, 2012 at 2:01 am #78148
Anonymous
Probably not this summer; hopefully the next.
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 26, 2012 at 2:59 am #78149
Seawater
ParticipantI put in a large framed water tight access port in mine and use it as dry storage or a water tank depending on what I need. When the Saba rock resort in the Bitter End BVIs offered free water with a mooring ball, I filled her right up.
I also ran a hawse (sp?) pipe right through the water tank, and I can run my chain back down to the bilge for longer runs. Usually I keep half of the chain up in the bow, and half in the bilge.
Getting it back in the bilge after deploying more than half is requires at least two people.
I used to have pictures posted on the site, maybe they are still up.
-
January 26, 2012 at 3:15 am #78150
Seawater
ParticipantI found a picture – https://plus.google.com/photos/110117171543003531139/albums/5697573696823529329
-
January 26, 2012 at 10:48 am #78151
Anonymous
Walter,
Do you have any photos of the hawse pipe installation through the water
tank?Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 26, 2012 at 2:51 pm #78152
Seawater
ParticipantNo, Sorry Tor. i will try to get some next time I visit the boat, but that may be a while. I took a large diameter sch 40 pvc pipe and epoxied it in at both ends. Then I took a smaller diameter pipe and ran it through the larger, and back to the bilge. That way, if the chain wears out the pvc, I can just pull the smaller pipe and replace it without any cutting or epoxy work.
I have a windlass on the bow, so I have to have a crew member pulling the chain out of the hawse pipe into the bilge to get it back there.
I chose to have the chain fall in the lower compartment in the bow, there is a pipe from the windlass down tot he top of that compartment. There is a second pipe from the bottom of that compartment to the bilge. By doing it that way (instead of a pipe from the bow to the bilge) I can keep some of the chain up front for easy deployment, and I don’t have to worry about whether the fall into the bilge is enough to pull muddy chain all the way through that long pipe from the bow.
The chain has to have some light tension on it to keep a chain pile from forming forward and blocking the hawse pipe, and to keep the links from going sideways and jamming.
A secondary
-
January 26, 2012 at 3:06 pm #78153
Seawater
ParticipantBTW Spirit has a similar arrangement but with a windlass in the bilge. Also they go around the water tank with rollers that look like those on a boat trailer instead of through the tank. If you look at the topics on the list for “Spirit is for sale” you will find a link to some pictures.
-
January 26, 2012 at 3:12 pm #78154
Anonymous
Thanks, Walter. I believe I understand what you did. It makes a lot of
sense and would almost certainly alleviate the slight bow-down trim
issue in my boat. On the dark side, I’d lose the watertightness of my
chain locker (which I redesigned some time ago, getting rid of the hatch
and anchor well on the foredeck, etc.), re-opening my bilges to seawater
and bottom muck. Seems like everything’s a trade-off on a boat.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 26, 2012 at 5:41 pm #78155
kalinowski
ParticipantTor: The gear, the boat and I are all in the same place and I can now start modifying my ground tackle system. I am planning to follow your approach, which is to divide the existing locker vertically for 2 rodes ( 300 ft of 3/8 and 250 ft of 12 strand with 50 ft of chain). I will then seal off the anchor locker door on deck.
You mentioned a slight bow trim problem. Is this something that has to be compensated for? Are there any “I wish I had done that” suggestions you could make?
Mahalo
Dan Kalinowski
Jolly Lama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 26, 2012 at 6:12 pm #78156
Anonymous
Dan,
I only have 150′ of 3/8″ chain + 100′ of 5/8″ nylon rode on a 45 lb.
CQR, and 50′ of 3/8″ chain + 200′ of rode on a 66 lb. Manta. They’re
handled by a Lofrans Project 1500 12V 1200W vertical electric windlass
with a drum above a chain gypsy. The nylon rodes are long-spliced to the
chain and pass smoothly through the gypsy. It all works, but here’s what
I’d do differntly now:1) I’d use 5/16″ chain instead of 3/8″, to reduce the weight and
volume. It’s plenty strong enough.
2) I’d install a horizontal windlass rather than vertical, to handle
either anchor with equal ease.One of the smart things I did was design a 2-piece, removeable divider
for the chain locker. I can pull the rodes out onto the deck, remove the
divider through the bulkhead doorway, and squeeze the upper half of my
body up into the chain locker to service things in there. A fixed
divider, which was the common advice, wouldn’ve been a big mistake.I don’t know how to “compensate” for the slightly overweight bow at this
point, other than to stow lighter items forward and heavier things
farther aft as much as possible. I doubt the casual observer would even
notice the imbalance, but I know it’s there.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
January 27, 2012 at 7:48 pm #78159
kalinowski
ParticipantMahalo Tor.
Dan Kalinowski
JollyLama #135
Ko Olina, O’ahu -
January 27, 2012 at 8:41 pm #78161
Anonymous
Reef early, Dan.
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
-
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.