Replacement Water Tank

[Bill]

May I assume by the lack of notation on the drawing in the manual, that the same tank was used in both the Commander sand the Ariel?

Probably, but it's not clear when Pearson began using fiberglass. Earliest boats (all Ariels) had galvanized steel water tanks. That was followed by Monel (high grade aluminum) tanks. Would be great if you got one of those from someone doing a major interior redesign. I snagged Ebb's . . .

[John]

That would be great if I could. Valhalla is a 1967 according to the PO, and it was a fiberglass tank, so they were using fiberglass at least that early.

[ebb]

Could build yourself a model in place out of posterboard and blue tape
to see what will fit in the space - gives you hard measures to choose from.
www.oceanlinkinc.com
used to have pages of plastic tanks listed with diagrams.
You'll want your fittings in the right place. So you may have to retro.
Maybe they sell that stuff too.
Don't know anything about the outfit - so can't vouch for prices and quality.
People who sell rotomold tanks (Tempo Todd Sealand) might have links on the net as a source.

Again, don't know how far bladder tanks have progressed taste wise, but there is always that alternative - might get more volume that way - and I think triangular bow versions are available. If you have tie points for the bag, this seems like the easiest solution.

You could make your own out of fiberglass and epoxy, but it's argueable that polyethylene or polypropylene or even abs is more better for potable water. Cheers

[John]

OceanLink is around the corner - sorta. I am going to scan the tank diagram from the manual and email it to them tomorrow.

Now for the glasswork...The glass guy came and said my deck is solid but that I had a stress crack behind the step, and he said to do it myself. Mix up resin and silica and fill after grinding off the thin area of the crack. There is not any flex in the deck even when I jumped. Hmmmm Wonder why he used me... Life is getting better.

[ebb]

John,
No tuna fish in the deck is one hell of a plus!
Read up on the mast step in the archives.
It may be that the mast has pushed the natural bow of the cabin flat (decades of pressure) causing the stress crack. It may indeed be an easy fix but you'll probably have to lower the mast and provide some support inside on top of the compression beam. To keep the bow up where it belongs.

It is my personal opinion (I have not seen the boat) that if you have no rot in the oak beam and your bracing is also in good shape you may get away with carefully shaped pieces (band saw) placed on top of the beam from inside the V'berth. But you'd have to take the pressure off the cabin top. (You would also have to remove the round mast step screws.) Be advised, this is only my opinion, there is an official fix in the Manual.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________

Imtra make a 14.5 gal nitril (no taste) 26.5 X 24.5 water bag with a 5 yr warranty for $175. And you don't need a vent.

[John]

Ebb,

My Commander has the compression post rather than the strongback. The deck area under the step seems to have retained it's natural, builtin, camber. I did check the block between the keel and the post before. ( I have also heard that standing on one's head will increase the intellect.) So I will check it again with more care, and be smarter in the process. Can't beat that deal with a stick.


The PO used 5 minute epoxy to hold the curtain rails above and below the sidelights. It seems as though it really is 1 season epoxy as I am forever reglueing the bloody things. Radio Shack as a 3M high strength high temp double faced tape that I have been thinking of trying. Have you used it for anything in the interior?

[c_amos]

Faith continues to evolve as we make our way down the coast. Our current water stowage is the original tank forward, and 4 6.5g (and plans to add 2 more before we cross to the islands) cans that we keep in the bottom of the cockpit lockers. Those cans are really hard to get out, and use most of the lockers. THe ~39 gallons of water will be very handy when going to explore the Exumas but dosent stow very well.

We only use storage under the starboard settee for 'emergency' bottled water, which again does not utilize it very well.

I am looking at the Plastimo 39 gallon water bladder with a fill in the cockpit and a 'y' valve on the original 1/2" hose leading from the original tank forward.

It is 27" x 55" and comes with a 1 1/2" fill barb and a 1/2" supply barb.

Plastimo flexible water tanks - consist of a welded non-porous tasteless PVC water chamber (inner bladder) inside a tough nylon envelope, for complete watertightness and resistance to tearing and abrasion.
Separate chambers allow the water tanks the flexibility to adapt their shape during heavy pitching, and to remain rigid enough not to burst under pressure.
The inner bladder is slightly oversized allowing pressure of water in tank to be exerted on the outter envelope not the inner bladder.
1 1/2 inlet and outlet fittings included. This model: capacity - 39.6 gal.

I doubt that I will fill it to capacity (it is too thick for the space full). If I did manage I know I would be adding something like ~250# of water.... about like an extra large crew member sleeping in the starbord settee....

What say the pannel?