After almost two years away from our boat, we were sitting on Good News the other night when the water pressure pump ran and ran and ran and then a loud whooshing noise and the sound of water running into the bilges. Sure enough, the aged hot water heater gave up the ghost, blew a connection, and dumped the water system. It is beyond salvage, and I have the boat working (without fresh water for the moment) but I have a couple of questions: -- Should I even bother trying to cut out the old hot water heater, given that the original owner glassed in floorboards and side panels surounding the area where it is located? I cannot get in, and it would take a small skinny strong person with long arms to hang upside down to get at the unit. -- If I abandon it in place, as some previous posts suggested, where is there room for another small hot water heater? -- The water dumped into the rear of the bilges, back by the rudder post which has been bone dry for years, and it dripped/weeped for a while into the main bilge where the bilge pumps are located. Two odd things happened: a fair amount of oil showed up on the surface of the water, and it stopped weeping into the main bilge and left about three gallons of water that I had to bail out. Any suggestions or theories for this? I cannot tell because of limited access where the water should run, or is that a sealed area with no outlet? -- Any suggestions for good quality small hot water heaters? I do not have propane on board so a flash heater is not an option. Thanks for your thoughts and ideas... Sanders back aboard s/v Good News
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I thought
all boat owners where "small skinny strong person with long arms to hang upside down" types. I can't think of too many jobs around the boat that don't take this kind of person. Since the unit is shot, you should be able to saws-all it out. As for the oil, I'd not worry much about it. Since the rear bilges have been bone dry for a long time there was probably just some residual oil film from the engine running that accumulated over the course of time. It does not take much oil to make a pretty large slick. I have seen 1 drop of gas make a slick 10-20 feet wide at the gas dock.
all boat owners where "small skinny strong person with long arms to hang upside down" types. I can't think of too many jobs around the boat that don't take this kind of person. Since the unit is shot, you should be able to saws-all it out. As for the oil, I'd not worry much about it. Since the rear bilges have been bone dry for a long time there was probably just some residual oil film from the engine running that accumulated over the course of time. It does not take much oil to make a pretty large slick. I have seen 1 drop of gas make a slick 10-20 feet wide at the gas dock.
isotemp
Hi Sanders, I have a 1979 model 37C. I replaced the water heater a couple of years ago - I was able to unbolt and remove the old one from underneath the cockpit, through the starboard seat access opening. Although it was a tight fit, I was able to fit in a new Isotemp water heater in the same location. I just crawled into the seat locker sideways, with my feet stuffed aft. This is also my favorite position for checking the prop stuffing. I usually put a small fender at the bottom to lay on. Hope that helps.
Hi Sanders, I have a 1979 model 37C. I replaced the water heater a couple of years ago - I was able to unbolt and remove the old one from underneath the cockpit, through the starboard seat access opening. Although it was a tight fit, I was able to fit in a new Isotemp water heater in the same location. I just crawled into the seat locker sideways, with my feet stuffed aft. This is also my favorite position for checking the prop stuffing. I usually put a small fender at the bottom to lay on. Hope that helps.
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