Fuel tanks

[Cjbtrawler]

New to the forum.
Im looking to purchase a trawler in the near future snd doing research at this point. Looking into the 2006 Ocean Alexander 50 Classico. I’ve been working with a broker who forwarded an 18 month old survey. The surveyor could not determine the material used to build the fuel tanks. I found that interesting but does anyone have any specifics for this series of boats?
Thanks

 

[O C Diver]

Welcome to the forum!

Have the broker put a magnet on the side of the tank. Steel or iron will cling, aluminum or fiberglass with fall down. If he can't tell the difference between aluminum and fiberglass simply by appearance, find a new broker.

Ted

 

[PM]

Regardless of the condition or material of the fuel tanks, toss out that survey! Get another, that guy does not know his business. Also, do not rely on any other information in the survey.

pete

 

[SteveK]

Amazing. To be an expert in any profession you only need to pass the exam. Then again the surveyor may have been born after steel tanks were no longer built, so has an excuse.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. As said above, I would make sure your surveyor is a different one.

 

[Giggitoni]

In possible defense of the surveyor, it’s possible the fuel tanks are inaccessible or enclosed in a FG compartment in the engine room. Thus, the surveyor is unable to determine the fuel tank material.

 

[koliver]

In possible defense of the surveyor, it’s possible the fuel tanks are inaccessible or enclosed in a FG compartment in the engine room. Thus, the surveyor is unable to determine the fuel tank material.

Most boats have access to the top of the fuel tank, under a small floor hatch in the cabin above, where the fill, draw pipes, guage, etc are attached. Also, the fuel lines in the ER will usually have an attachment that is visible and can be checked for magnetism.
If the broker or surveyor hasn't found any of these, find one that is a little brighter.

 

[Bud]

Welcome to the forum!

Have the broker put a magnet on the side of the tank. Steel or iron will cling, aluminum or fiberglass with fall down. If he can't tell the difference between aluminum and fiberglass simply by appearance, find a new broker.

Ted

Ted,
I remember a few years ago you talked about fiberglassing your cap rail. How did that come out and did it hold up? Is there a thread on it.
Thanks
Bud

 

[O C Diver]

Ted,
I remember a few years ago you talked about fiberglassing your cap rail. How did that come out and did it hold up? Is there a thread on it.
Thanks
Bud

It was done with West system epoxy and bi-axial cloth.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s32/my-short-haul-refit-19105.html

Posts:
#104, #197, and #198.

After 8 years, I have one wood seam that has an issue. Everything else is perfect other than the luster of the paint is only shiny after waxing. I'd do it again without hesitation.

Ted

 

[Comodave]

I have never had a boat that you could not find somewhere that you could see a portion of the fuel tank. If the surveyor couldn’t find somewhere to see tge tank in order to find the material it was because the surveyor was lazy. Sorry…

 

[Bud]

It was done with West system epoxy and bi-axial cloth.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s32/my-short-haul-refit-19105.html

Posts:
#104, #197, and #198.

After 8 years, I have one wood seam that has an issue. Everything else is perfect other than the luster of the paint is only shiny after waxing. I'd do it again without hesitation.

Ted

Thaat came out good. Is the wood, teak on your cap rail? Was it hard to get the glass to bend around the round sides of the cap? Maybe you had to pre wet the glass?
thanks
Bud

 

[Cjbtrawler]

After reading the survey again I see that “inacessable” was the reason. Can’t fault the surveyor on that one.
Still, it would seem they would at least research that.

 

[Cjbtrawler]

Welcome to the forum!

Have the broker put a magnet on the side of the tank. Steel or iron will cling, aluminum or fiberglass with fall down. If he can't tell the difference between aluminum and fiberglass simply by appearance, find a new broker.

Ted

I will do that. It’s possible they couldn’t get to them. Ive been trying to get a response from the manufacturer representative in the US for an answer but you know how that goes.

 

[O C Diver]

Thaat came out good. Is the wood, teak on your cap rail? Was it hard to get the glass to bend around the round sides of the cap? Maybe you had to pre wet the glass?
thanks
Bud

Did both the cap rail and the rub rail after removing the stainless flat stock.

The teak was sanded down so that the stainless flat would go back in the same place. Epoxy is thicker than fiberglass resin. So wetting the wood and then laying the cloth on works best. Once the cloth is on, it's wetted out with a paint brush. The wetted cloth is then moldable to the surface. It requires patience to shape it. The rub rails are close to 40' long and have 3 surfaces to mold the cloth to. Each rub rail received 2 layers of cloth. Each layer was one continuous piece. Each piece took a couple of hours. The 2 layers and the frosting West System fairing bonding mixture were done over a 5 hour period so that they could cure together. I played gopher, mix boy, and cloth roller on that job. It took several gallons of West System to do each rub rail. The cap rail was easier because the cloth was layed on top, wrapped around, and then tucked under the cap with a fillet joining it to the fiberglass.

Ted

 

[Taras]

Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive digital inspection camera with a long 5 foot wand that has a small camera on the end of it. Maybe good to purchase that to inspect those so called inaccessible areas...... I have one and use it to inspect any area that's hard to get to.

 

[Bud]

Did both the cap rail and the rub rail after removing the stainless flat stock.

The teak was sanded down so that the stainless flat would go back in the same place. Epoxy is thicker than fiberglass resin. So wetting the wood and then laying the cloth on works best. Once the cloth is on, it's wetted out with a paint brush. The wetted cloth is then moldable to the surface. It requires patience to shape it. The rub rails are close to 40' long and have 3 surfaces to mold the cloth to. Each rub rail received 2 layers of cloth. Each layer was one continuous piece. Each piece took a couple of hours. The 2 layers and the frosting West System fairing bonding mixture were done over a 5 hour period so that they could cure together. I played gopher, mix boy, and cloth roller on that job. It took several gallons of West System to do each rub rail. The cap rail was easier because the cloth was layed on top, wrapped around, and then tucked under the cap with a fillet joining it to the fiberglass.

Ted

Thanks for the details Ted very helpful.
Bud

 

[DDW]

In possible defense of the surveyor, it’s possible the fuel tanks are inaccessible or enclosed in a FG compartment in the engine room. Thus, the surveyor is unable to determine the fuel tank material.

The fuel tanks being enclosed and inaccessible for inspection would alone be sufficient reason to reject the boat, in my opinion.

 

[Island Hopper]

New to the forum.
Im looking to purchase a trawler in the near future snd doing research at this point. Looking into the 2006 Ocean Alexander 50 Classico. I’ve been working with a broker who forwarded an 18 month old survey. The surveyor could not determine the material used to build the fuel tanks. I found that interesting but does anyone have any specifics for this series of boats?
Thanks

My 2006, Ocean Alexander sport sedan 52 has aluminum fuel tanks and stainless steel water tanks

 

[RGClarkson]

Fuel tanks OA50

My previous boat was a 2009 OA 50 Classico. It had a 600 gallon aluminum tank arhwartships in front of the engine. There is an inspection port in the back of the master stateroom closet and I think another under the pilothouse settee.

 

[JAllen]

We have a 1980 Mrk1 RPH. We removed the two aft tanks. Just cut them out. They were steel and were probably compromised from the day they were put in. We had new aluminum tanks made and installed. Probably lost 50 gallon capacity but still have 500NM range. We abandoned the tanks outboard of the engines. If we ever the engines out I’ll cut them out.
Other than that if you have teak decks make sure they are not compromised. We removed the teak, record the decks and painted them. The only other major thing is check the electrical. When we bought ours it was a major safety issue.

 

[jbabs]

On my 2003 OA 511 PHMY there is a plaque clearly visible in the engine room. Dual 350 gallon aluminum fuel tanks. Stainless water tank

 

[Terry]

I bought that exact boat new in 2006. Very few were made (maybe 12). The one your looking at may very well be my old boat.

I can tell you with certainty that they originally built these with no possible way to view the tanks. There is no tank access top bottom sides or otherwise.

I had to create access to all 4 tanks in order to access the top of the tanks for polishing from a very bad load of fuel.

I cut 4 access points in the subfloor in the bottom of 4 cabinets in the kitchen area. I then cut 4 inch holes in the top of all 4 tanks and installed permanent access covers.

The tanks are aluminum.

Any insight you may want on these boats let me know.

 

[live2fish]

We have a 2003 OA 423 Classico. Practically everything in the boat is labeled with information by OA, including a color code sticker for plumbing, etc. Our tanks are labelled as "Alum. Alloy 5052-H32, 0.45 CM THICKNESS". The label also provides the hull number, pressure tested PSI and date of construction and the code under which it was tested. We have two forward tanks of 150 gal each and one 300 gal stern tank and all are labeled. Perhaps one of your tanks is labeled and that will give you the answer.