B
Bill
I want to share some fuel tank info for owners with older c-30s. I removed the aluminum (original) tank from my 1984 C-30 a few weeks ago to have it cleaned. I was concerned with the cleanliness of the tank from the time I bought the boat 4 years ago. It was not difficult removing the tank, but once removed, I found that the plywood mounting platform had absorbed diesel and had begun to deteriorate. I also removed the board. It was attached to the hull with fiberglass tape and epoxy, so that was a little work. I have prepared a new sheet of marine plywood with epoxy and bilgecote for the mounting. I took the tank to a radiator shop that does a lot of aluminum cleaning. Once clean, several pinholes were evident in the tank - these showed up under pressure testing. The gunk in the tank had been preventing serious fuel leakage, but now I know why there was a black residue under the tank area and a lingering diesel smell in the boat. The radiator shop suggested a fix of the leaking tank area, but I decided to call Catalina directly and find out about a replacement. They now sell an aluminum tank with different diminsions, but which will fit the area under the quarter berth with no problems. I am really happy that I undertook this project this year. I think that the tank has probably had problems for the last five or six years. I hope this info helps owners facing similar problems. Bill