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My fuel tank is leaking. I have checked all hoses and other connections but they are dry. The petrol pump on the engines are also dry. The problem started when I filled up to full tank. Half of the tank disappeared in three days and was pumped out by my automatic pump. The leak continued till I was down to reserve level. My theory is that there is a small hole in the tank at a very low level and that the pressure from a full tank forces the fuel out. Thoughts on that anyone?

I understand that I need to lift and remove the cockpit sole in order to get to the fuel tank. One initial problem before I get to that is that the cockpit floor is beautifully teak laid.
Any ideas on how I can lift the whole thing?

Fredrik,

Im sorry about your tank. Boat problems...

As for the sole, my 72 has a stock deck that you remove in one piece, after you undo the screws all around (which screws I removed once and for all and I remove my deck for inspection or work at least once a year, hence the screws removal. It does not budge a milimeter even with Bertram weather by the way).
Do you mean that your deck is teak from wall to wall without the removable part, so that you have to destroy it for removal?
A photo would help.

Many teak decks are put down in sections. There's usually a black caulk seam which is covering the screw heads...... You gouge up the calk to expose the screws. Remove the screws and the sections lift out.

Open a hatch. Measure the distance (underside of the deck) from the edge of the hatch opening to the nearest stringer. Then measure that same distance on the topside of the deck, and that's when you can start looking for screws. On the ends (and they may only be on the ends....), they'll be located under bungs.

Many thanks for your replies. I have a picture but it doesn't seem that this forum allow me to upload it. The cockpit floor is is fully covered with thick teak planks. I can see the bungs. I'm not sure how to remove the bungs without chipping the teak. Any tips on that? Then I wonder. If I get the screws out, isn't the teak also glued to the sole?

Fredrick

You can get new teak bungs or you can make them.

I would either carefully pry them out or drill a hole in the center deep enough so you can get a curved pick into it to pull it out or you can just scrape it out.

The deck should not be glued down. It may have some caulk on it but not glue, unless someone who thought it would never be removed put it down.

Mike,

By "stringers", do you mean any built-in (glassed) lateral supports under the deck, for rigidity? Not the keel stringers, right?

If so, the 28, at least my 28, does not have any such "stringers" to measure anything from.
The one piece deck (with its 5 hatches) is a molded surface with a "lip" all around, that rests on a similar "lip" which is built- in the surrounding boat mold.
This latter, extends 12 cm inwards from the overall floor's side extremities, and 5cm aft from the engine box step. Still, under that narrow periphery there are no stringers; it is the thickness of the structure plus the lip curvature that guarantee the rigidity.

Thanks alot. I better get started to remove the side planks of the teak in order to access the screws that holds the sole. If I manage to remove all these then I hope I can lift off the sole with the rest of the teak still in place. Yannis, do you have any idea of the weight of the GRP sole?

Yannis wrote:Mike,

By "stringers", do you mean any built-in (glassed) lateral supports under the deck, for rigidity? Not the keel stringers, right?

Correct. Floor joists might be a more accurate description.

The teak is often set on marine plywood, just like the wood floor in a house. If it's done thoughtfully, the teak boards don't cross the plywood seams. That leaves removable panels. The bungs are probably not glued in. They're whacked in with a mallet and cut flush to the deck with a sharp chisel. They're not very thick, so be careful drilling them.

Mike, thanks.

Fredrik,

Good luck, tough sh||t, no, the sole is not heavy, however, the teak overlay makes that 3 people are needed for removal.
Two out and one in. My non teak sole weighs around 40 kilos. The thing is how you move that huge thing. Again, good luck.

Yannis

Moving the deck is easy. You get 6 big friends and tell them you have beer and Pizza for them but first they need to help you move a deck.

Again many thanks.

Tony,

Ive done it so many times, it doesnt work anymore with pizza.
Its more like sushi and rather expensive wine that might lure them !!

Fredrik,

Once youre done with the screws you dont have to put them back. That thing should be so heavy that when it is positioned in place it doesnt move, even with bertram weather.

I too dont know how to post pics now that photobucket is gone. If someone could care explain...

Yannis wrote: I too dont know how to post pics now that photobucket is gone. If someone could care explain...

I posted a short story on it here...

http://bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13169

Mike,

I made an imgur account.
I uploaded the pics I wanted. I also gave it a name as required.
Now, I cannot find them anywhere, I see verybody elses pics except for mine!
Also, there is no "share" button or anything that would move my pics to the B31 site.
Please help me so I dont throw this pad overboard !
Thanks.

After you upload and name, you hit Share with Community. When the image is shared, you right click on it and 'copy image location'. That's what you use to post the image here.

Or, you can click on your user name (top right) and click 'images'. Your saved images will be displayed. Click on one of them and all sorts of links will come up.

The second one, Direct Link is the one to use.

Mike,

There is no "share with community" button anywhere. Are we having perhaps a different version?
However, I figured that I can download the pic and paste it to the B31 site. So it might work. I still have to figure out how you can do this with multiple pics.
Problem: the downloaded pic is way too large to fit in here, so you only see a part of it...how do I reduce the pic?
Thanks.

Email it to me....

Mike, thank you.
Its not a matter of you adapting my one pic to size, rather, how can any pic be brought to size...

I removed the sole today and everything went well. The teak is intact. Now my plan is to manually saw the top off the fiberglass tank and take measurements and have a stainless steel tank made to fit in the old glassfiber tank. Does anyone have any experience from a similar job?

I did just what you are considering about ten years ago--only I used an aluminum tank. We had a thread a few months ago about fuel tank--all the info is there.
Before you start you might want to confirm that is is actually the tank that is leaking. Mine was degraded from ethonol fuel, and when I cut it open I was amazed at how heavily it was built--in spots it was about a 1/2 inch thick! Fiberglass can't corrode, and I don't think it could possibly crack, so how could it leak? Why don't you block off all the lines and put some air pressure into it to confirm the leak before you start what is a monster of a job.

Tooeez wrote:I did just what you are considering about ten years ago--only I used an aluminum tank. We had a thread a few months ago about fuel tank--all the info is there.
Before you start you might want to confirm that is is actually the tank that is leaking. Mine was degraded from ethonol fuel, and when I cut it open I was amazed at how heavily it was built--in spots it was about a 1/2 inch thick! Fiberglass can't corrode, and I don't think it could possibly crack, so how could it leak? Why don't you block off all the lines and put some air pressure into it to confirm the leak before you start what is a monster of a job.

Tooeez

As an FYI stainless steel tanks are not coast guard certified. Stainless if not welded right can crack on the weld. Not many guys around who make stainless tanks.

You have two coices if it is the tank, one is High Tide Marine who can get you a new glass tank or gave one made of aluminum.

If you insert the tank in the current tank you will lose some gallonage