Fuel Tank Removal

stevebirch2002 · May 19, 2006

Hi Frank

Same here, I removed my tank and getting some creaking now and as you
say large cavenous hole tha is perfect to store beer though! C'mon lads
lets be having some solutionsSteve Birch (Technical)

zippydoda_captain · May 19, 2006

Hi Steve.

You know what they say, IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT.
What was wrong with your old tank?
Ray (Tortuga)

Ray Wilton
Ship and Field Support Manager
School of Ocean Science
University of Wales (Bangor)
Menai Bridge
Angelsey
LL59 5AB

Tel 01248 382614
Fax 01248 716367

purplerobbie1968 · May 19, 2006

Hi

Fill it with closed cell foam. You buy it as a 2 part liquid then mix it
together then pour it in. When it gets to the battery box level or just
below flatten it off and paint over the top with epoxy to keep it dry. The
only problem with this is the batteries will be sitting in any water in the
bilge.

Concrete dries smaller than the hole you put it in and I think it could
upset the balance.

Rob

_____

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Frank Gallardo Jr
Sent: 19 May 2006 08:19
To: Albin Vega group
Subject: [AlbinVega] Fuel Tank Removal

Several years ago I removed the diesel fuel tank down in the bilge. Ever
since then the cabin sole creaks. The cabin sole "feels" spongy and flexes
somewhat. Has anyone else experienced this? Now I wish I would have left it
in even if it wasn't being used. I haven't found a solution to the
creaking. Maybe glassing in some wooden wedges under the sole might help.
I also read recently in the German Vega newsletter where one guy poured
concrete into his bilge to lessen the amount of water build-up. Any ideas
about this? Without the tank there is simply a huge cavernous open area
down in the keel. Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.

"Fair Winds and Following Seas"
sv Cin Cin, V-2184
Frank Gallardo Jr

_____

xiphion1209 · May 19, 2006

Why fill it with anything?

We have the petrol version (vega 1209), now converted to diesel and have a
lovely deep bilge that never had the fuel tank down there anyway.

I think a deep bilge is great. Any water slops around down there if you are
unlucky enough to ship / have a leak. That's the best bit, not like these
modern boats. The 1st bit of water down below and it's over the floor
boards making a mess when you start heeling over sailing.

We have an auto bilge pump down there and she's always quite dry, so I've
never had to worry about the batteries.

Suggest if the floor is creaking you just beef it up underneath with some
extra glass laminates.

Tim Buckley
Shipshape Services Ltd.

Tel: 023 92 466 277
Fax: 023 92 466 249
Mobile: 07866 622466

www.shipshapeservices.co.uk
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SVFlyAway · May 19, 2006

I wonder why one would want to fill in this "void." Most blue water sailors
look for boats with such deep bilges. Most really good cruising boats have
such deep bilges. I once owned a Hallberg Rassy and the depth of the bilge
was over meter deep. The reason is so water has a place to go. A lot of
water can come aboard when cruising and a deep bilge is a big benefit. My
manual bilge pump hose goes right to the bottom of the bilge and there is
plenty of room for an electric pump to be installed down there too.

I wouldn't have purchased my Vega is it didn't have the bilge area. I
consider it a benefit.

_____

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Frank Gallardo Jr
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 12:19 AM
To: Albin Vega group
Subject: [AlbinVega] Fuel Tank Removal

Several years ago I removed the diesel fuel tank down in the bilge. Ever
since then the cabin sole creaks. The cabin sole "feels" spongy and flexes
somewhat. Has anyone else experienced this? Now I wish I would have left it
in even if it wasn't being used. I haven't found a solution to the
creaking. Maybe glassing in some wooden wedges under the sole might help.
I also read recently in the German Vega newsletter where one guy poured
concrete into his bilge to lessen the amount of water build-up. Any ideas
about this? Without the tank there is simply a huge cavernous open area
down in the keel. Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.

"Fair Winds and Following Seas"
sv Cin Cin, V-2184
Frank Gallardo Jr

pjacobs55 · May 19, 2006

I have an ex-gas Vega (1331) and like the deep bilge, too. It gives
me a little leeway, in case of a leak, before the batteries are
compromised.
Mine creaks, but it's the wooden hatch that makes the noise, not the
fibreglass part. Not too sure how to cure that, but maybe a better
fitting bilge cover would help.

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'

frank_lighthouse · May 19, 2006

Dear all,
I tend to agree with Tim and Chris Brown but would just add the following to
the discussion. I once naively tried to remove the tank from Alkira whilst
she was in the water - absolutely no way, it was solid and yet had been
easily removed on a previous occasion. As has been mentioned already, it is
a fairly large void and the keel side surfaces are obviously subject to
water pressure (one foot of water is roughly half a psi as I recollect).
I can only assume that in my case this pressure caused some deflection of
the keel side faces which then actually gripped the tank. Looking at it
another way, the tank is comparatively light but quite rigid and given its
shape would provide some support to the keel moulding (is this a reason for
it being such a tight fit?). Hence removing the tank may result in some
movement in the keel area that causes the creaking.
My suggestion to anybody wanting to permanently remove the tank would be to
glass in some suitable material as a reinforcing cross member half way down
the void (use this as a support for Steve's beer shelf!).

Best regards to all,
Frank Fowler.

tom_rutter · May 20, 2006

I suppose that it wouldn't even need to be glassed in. A wooden frame
(incorporating beer shelves) with large pads on the sides to spread the load
would probably work fine. Next time I dry out (accidentally or
deliberately!), it might be worth checking for how much deflection there is
in the keel walls.

I've wondered about putting a flexible water tank down there too. There is
the obvious issue of having to pump water up a couple of feet, but the foot
pumps shouldn't have a problem with that. That would take a lot of weight
out of the bow, and might mean that sailing upwind in a sea is a little bit
more comfortable.

I'm sure putting the fuel tank there made a lot of sense from a centre of
mass point of view (when sailing at least). But putting the batteries just
next to the tank would have modern health and safety people a bit vexed.

Tom

rchrdcoe · May 20, 2006

As to useing the bilge for storing beer, I once filled mine with a
case of cans and after a rather rough nite found all my cans had
popped their tops and I had a bilge full of beer and empty cans. Use
bottles instead of cans.
Richard V1812