Fireglass fuel tanks

This could make some interesting reading for fibreglass fuel tank makers or people thinking about it !!

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/fueltest.asp

Read down !!

 

Funny that you mention fiberglass fuel tanks. Over the holiday a fuel slick appeared in the harbor. The source of this diesel spill was unclear. Next morning...another fuel slick. The port police came down and couldn't locate the source. Next morning ..another fuel slick.
Unable to find the source of this diesel...perhaps 40 liters each day...the port police Boomed off the whole line of yachts and finally located the leaker.
A 60 ft powerboat with a leaking fiberglass fuel tank was filling its bilge with fuel and its automatic bilge pump was discharging into the sea.

Big mess, the harbour reeks of diesel .

 

Yes i would say there lots problems with in built tanks that never get a mentioned and you never hear of and its kept quiet !!. Theres lots more to building tanks than first meets the eye !! when you dealing with lots of liquid in one place and its inside of something that moves so it sloshes every which way its fun . I used to help make hot acid tanks once long ago and that was interesting . also long narrow dip tanks for the company doing chrome plating , that was differant !!

 

Any fuel tank can leak. Best to design the boat so that in future... its tanks can be inspected, maintained, repaired, replaced...

With cheap production boats its too expensive to use proper design. If youre building custom boats , TANKs should be high on the list of ...well conceived systems.

 

Oh and somewhere I read an article on Epoxy Fuel Tanks. The resin and its hardener are unique and the tank needed to be post cured . Perhaps this article was old and new Epoxies have been formulated.

The guys that do custom lightweight fuel tanks are homebuilding airplanes. Do some googling and you will find tank guideline for aircraft

 

The surf life saving boats used to make the fuel tanks are fabric hi frequancy welded together never seen on of them ever come apart or leak !!,they just clipped to the floor and guys stand and walk on them .
On the west coast of nz the taiwanese fishing boats stay out at sea for months and the factory ships have there own fuel and fuel for there smaller fishing fleet its in huge big sausage shaped bladders just tied in rafts . when they are empty they are filled with air and let go and float and sometimes get washed up on shore .
The local fishing guys use then for a wharf and tie there boats against them so dont need fenders .

 

Ahhh Bladders !!!


One of the worst, most dangerous sailboats trips Ive ever done was an ocean passage on a small racing sailboat whose fuel bladder got punctured in heavy weather.


The conditions inside the boat were a nightmare, the conditions outside were a nightmare

The inside of the boat was covered in diesel, We were covered in diesel.. Outside The decks were covered in diesel and very slippery. Difficult to sit and hold on.

Bad week

 

tanks built like a double pane window with a sensor for when fuel leaks out

 

I have a friend thats a boat designer and he designed my somes 20 foot tunnel boat , the Aluminium fuel tanks are in side plywood box's that are completely epoxy glassed with 3 coats of epoxy resin to seal the surface . The tanks have a air space and are vented to the outside of the hull , then the floor is fitted and screwed down over the top . theres no way fuel can escape and get into the underfloor cavity one from the tanks and two from the box's . The tanks ventilator cavity going to the outside also incorperates the tank vents and the fuel lines and the fuel deck filler pipes Because its a tunnel boat and is used to go long way there are two big tanks that feed a 300 hp single outboard . He does a lot of sport fishing !

 

Old news. That article is 6 to 7 years old. I have been telling builders for over 20 years not to build fiberglass tanks for gasoline. It is just too risky.

As was said, tanks, no matter the material, need to be built so they can be can be easily accessed, inspected on all sides, and won't trap moisture. Tanks that are built right and installed correctly will last the life of the boat.

 

Good lord is there any good news from this cove you orignate from?? Why dont the damn insurance companies get together and bust up the damn rocks lurking just under the surface there?? seems like it would be quite prudent instead of coughing up another 100.000 eu or whatever the # you stated to clean up another cat that "got its keek torn off", I think ide start an impound yard, and then repair these things. From pics you have posted -it would be damn near NOTHING to have them ready to spank the waves all the way to Ibiza for yrs to come!

 

Most always people problems !!

Tanks that are built right and installed correctly will last the life of the boat.
I whole heartedly agree !! like all jobs done properly they give years of trouble free service , quick fix and shoddy workmanship and you get years of problems that just never go away !! remember they are all peoples problems very little is materials problems !!