[C320-list] Fuel tank corrosion due to installation against hull?

[Robert Seastream]

I've got a 2002, hull 906.  Your tank installation sounds similar to  
mine.  Yes, there's a skirt around the tank which is glassed in place,  
and the tank is strapped to it.
If I was concerned about drainage there, since the hull has a downward  
slope towards the bow I'd simply drill a hole through the port bow  
side of the skirt.
In any event, I believe the tank is aluminum, so I wouldn't think  
corrosion would be a concern, but I've been wrong before.

Bob Seastream
Intuition # 906


On Sep 6, 2008, at 12:05 PM, Martin Bayly wrote:

> Thinking of buying a 2005 model (built 2004) catalina (hull 1023).   
> Just had
> the survey done and one of the major issues that the surveyor raised  
> was to
> do with how the fuel tank is seated.
>
>
>
> He says there is water (maybe fresh water - he couldn't tell),  
> between the
> bottom of the fuel tank and the hull.  He described that there is  
> plywood
> skirt around the fuel tank which is preventing this water from  
> dissipating.
> It sounded like the plywood skirt was to hold the tank in place, but  
> he
> seemed to think that the tank was effectively sitting directly  
> against the
> hull.
>
>
>
> He suggested that the tank needs to be raised, ribbing/slats  put in  
> place
> between the hull and the bottom of the tank and drain holes cut in the
> plywood skirt to allow any water that collects there to drain away.
>
>
>
> He felt that if this wasn't done there could be a danger that the  
> bottom of
> the tank could corrode away quite quickly.
>
>
>
> So if this is the case, it sounds like a bit of a design flaw.  Just
> wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem.  Did a quick  
> search
> for Fuel tank issues in this list but could not see anything like this
> reported.
>
>
>
> Thanks for any info
>
> Martin
>
>
>