Shady Lady Docked at Jacksonville Landing, FL
Ahoy All:
This morning the tides/current were in our favor, so Shady Lady cruised
about 19 miles up the St. Johns River to Jacksonville, stopping at the "free"
dock downtown at Jacksonville Landing. As we approached we smelled coffee,
then saw the Maxwell House factory near the river.
"Free," I say? Well, we walked around for a good part of the day, and at
5pm the monthly art festival and fashion show began. Many establishments
feature the work of local artists, and some offer wine and snacks as well.
The fashion show was kind of tacky, but the art displays got better after
the 3rd glass of wine. Unfortunately for me we then went into a jewelry store
to look at the art displayed there. Susie saw a necklace she "loved," and the
"free" dock suddenly became kind of pricey.
One of our walks today took us down to the football stadium, where there is
a city-run marina. If you have bikes on board, or like to walk, it's a great
deal! Free floating docks, free pump-out and free water. If you want
electricity, there's a kiosk that accepts your credit card and you purchase
(for around $8 for 24 hours) electric power. The place was absolutely empty.
Of course, there's a charge if an event is going on.
Back to Jacksonville Landing. The sign says rafting up to 5 deep can be
required. There are only 3 other boats tonight, though, with plenty of empty
dock space. The potty/manatee police also came by; very friendly and
informative, but he carried a bottle of blue dye to test your holding tank if
he became suspicious.
The plan for tomorrow is to continue cruising up the river for a few hours,
then turn back and dock for the night by the stadium.
Wade Ehlen
MT36 Shady Lady
River Bend NC
The
sign says rafting up to 5 deep can be
required.
This requirement is usually only needed to be involked if an event is going
on. Otherwise, there is seldom the need. We were there one year when,
co-incidently, a bowl game was being played. Stayed over a week and although
there was the need for rafting up, and the dockmaster warned me, we got
through it all without anyone rafting up to us... must have been that nasty
scowl that Jill occassionally produces?
However, we did have a couple of univited fellas get on the boat one night,
but seeings how we were still onboard, and, Jill was awake to notice, we
chased them off. Call the police and they responded but never did catch the
two. Who'da guess that something like this would occur in downtown
Jacksonville during the monthly, or maybe the weekly, lets-make-noise event.
For those who are not aware of it, there is a Publix grocery store about 8
blocks from this great place to tie up and the library is only a few blocks
away and a mueseum just across the river. In spit of it all, we do think that
it is a great place to spend a few days. Kinda nice place to sit and watch all
of the worker bees, while not being one.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
Our diesel tanks appear to be corroding from the outside in, especially on
the top of the tanks. The filler cap fitting appears in the past to have
had water leakage around the deck fitting. The steel on the top of the
tanks is pretty badly rusted and flaking. We have had some diesel smell
problems and the boatyard we work with thinks the smell is tied to diesel
wicking through corrosion as the fuel splashes around. I asked our boatyard
what we would be looking at for a replacement cost. He said the last boat
they did was a similar GB and it cost in the neighborhood of $15,000. After
I picked myself up off the floor, he explained that on our boat (a 40'
Taiwan trawler), he would remove the genset (it's positioned forward in the
engine compartment) to create more room to move the engines forward, remove
the bulkhead between the engines and the tanks, cut out the old tanks and
reverse the process with installation of newly fabricated aluminum tanks.
I asked about alternatives such as lining the tanks or a bladder or
whatever. He said he could research them for us. I told him to hold on
that for now and I would get back to him.
We had our fuel polished last year and the outfit that did the work said
bladders were being used to avoid tank replacement. Our boatyard said
holding the tanks half full might keep the smell tolerable for a while. I'd
love to hear advice or your experiences with this problem. $15k additional
at this time is a hard pill to swallow.
Roger Purdom
Our diesel tanks appear to be
corroding from the outside in, especially on
the top of the tanks.
Roger, ouch I too feel the pain; but maybe a couple of alternatives.
Assuming that there is enough room above the tanks, and that the rest of the tanks are in good shape, you could have new tops welded onto the existing tanks and hopefully you can get a welder, space permitting, to do so in situ.
Another idea is to grind down to clean metal and, using epoxy and fiberglass, glass on a new top, over the existing top. Works pretty good. Did this with one of those huge storage tanks that are found at fuel terminals... yep, covered the entire domed top that was rusting thru, so it isn't necessarily something to scoff at.
If possible, maybe just a stop gap, then too, maybe more permanent. But if neither idea is practical for you, maybe they'll stimulate another idea.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
These are some good ideas. Naturally, access to the tank tops is really
awful. Just seeing sections of the tops is not that easy. We have worked
with an excellent fiberglass shop close by. We talked with him and he's
looking at our boat to see if we could put new tanks in forward of the
existing tanks. We actually have an open space on the port side and could
make the same space on the stbd side by removing some shelves. If that
concept works, that change would shift weight forward which makes me wonder
if that might not cause her to be nose-heavy and squirrelly.
Roger
Washington State
-----Original Message-----
From: Rudy and Jill [mailto:rudysechez@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 2:55 PM
To: Roger Purdom
Cc: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: T&T: Diesel tank failure
Our diesel tanks appear to be
corroding from the outside in, especially on
the top of the tanks.
Roger, ouch I too feel the pain; but maybe a couple of alternatives.
Assuming that there is enough room above the tanks, and that the rest of the
tanks are in good shape, you could have new tops welded onto the existing
tanks and hopefully you can get a welder, space permitting, to do so in
situ.
Another idea is to grind down to clean metal and, using epoxy and
fiberglass, glass on a new top, over the existing top. Works pretty good.
Did this with one of those huge storage tanks that are found at fuel
terminals... yep, covered the entire domed top that was rusting thru, so it
isn't necessarily something to scoff at.
If possible, maybe just a stop gap, then too, maybe more permanent. But if
neither idea is practical for you, maybe they'll stimulate another idea.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
Roger, don't over look the approach that cuts enough of the floor, or maybe
decking to get to the tanks. Agreed, you'll probably have to remove some of
the joiner work, but then that gives you an opportunity to rebuild to a layout
that might work better for you. Might also be less expensive than the option
of moving engines and bulkheads?
Be careful with what I say, 'cause it's so easy for me to spend your money!
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
--- On Thu, 5/5/11, Roger Purdom roger@purdom.us wrote:
From: Roger Purdom roger@purdom.us
Subject: RE: T&T: Diesel tank failure
To: "'Rudy and Jill'" rudysechez@yahoo.com
Cc: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011, 6:27 PM
These are some good ideas.
Naturally, access to the tank tops is really
awful. Just seeing sections of the tops is not that
easy. We have worked
with an excellent fiberglass shop close by. We talked
with him and he's
looking at our boat to see if we could put new tanks in
forward of the
existing tanks. We actually have an open space on the
port side and could
make the same space on the stbd side by removing some
shelves. If that
concept works, that change would shift weight forward which
makes me wonder
if that might not cause her to be nose-heavy and
squirrelly.
Roger
Washington State
-----Original Message-----
From: Rudy and Jill [mailto:rudysechez@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 2:55 PM
To: Roger Purdom
Cc: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: T&T: Diesel tank failure
Our diesel tanks appear to be
corroding from the outside in, especially on
the top of the tanks.
Roger, ouch I too feel the pain; but maybe a couple of
alternatives.
Assuming that there is enough room above the tanks, and
that the rest of the
tanks are in good shape, you could have new tops welded
onto the existing
tanks and hopefully you can get a welder, space permitting,
to do so in
situ.
Another idea is to grind down to clean metal and, using
epoxy and
fiberglass, glass on a new top, over the existing top.
Works pretty good.
Did this with one of those huge storage tanks that are
found at fuel
terminals... yep, covered the entire domed top that was
rusting thru, so it
isn't necessarily something to scoff at.
If possible, maybe just a stop gap, then too, maybe more
permanent. But if
neither idea is practical for you, maybe they'll stimulate
another idea.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
-----Original Message-----
From: Roger Purdom
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 2:32 PM
To: 'Trawler List'
Subject: T&T: Diesel tank failure
Our diesel tanks appear to be corroding from the outside in, especially on
the top of the tanks.
Roger Purdom
Roger,
Years ago I repaired a fuel tank with liquid steel, a two part epoxy. It
comes in a stick that you cut what you need, neal it in your fingers and
push it on and voila! That tank is still going good and not leaking. If my
memory serves me correctly it is now approximately 20 years ago. We are
still waiting for it to leak. Actually we are not watching it no more. We
forgot about it.
Regards,
Roger Lalonde
Summerstown ON Canada
I'd recommended doing a UT scan (thickness measurement) to see if it is
worth saving or not. If it is a good candidate for repair, I would consider
using Belzona. It may be as simple as wire brushing the top and laminating
a new peice of stell or aluminum on top of the existing tank. Just Google
Belzona, you'll get lots of hits. The local Belzona rep visited me last
week and mentioned there was a new product out that didn't require the same
prep as some of the other SuperMetals that they make, it would be worth
enquiring about.
I have no interest in the company, but I've used it for the last 25 years in
the US Navy and the pulp and paper industry. They make a good product (when
the repair is prepped and installed properly).
Regards,
Mike Pedersen
Powell River, BC
On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 11:32 AM, Roger Purdom roger@purdom.us wrote:
I'd love to hear advice or your experiences with this problem. $15k
additional
at this time is a hard pill to swallow.
I know that some companies line steel tanks in the petroleum storage tank
market (gas stations)
Are there any vendors that come in and do a spray lining on these old steel
boat tanks?
From: "Rudy and Jill" rudysechez@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 5:55 PM
To: "Roger Purdom" roger@purdom.us
Cc: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: T&T: Diesel tank failure
Our diesel tanks appear to be
corroding from the outside in, especially on
the top of the tanks.
Roger, ouch I too feel the pain; but maybe a couple of alternatives.
Assuming that there is enough room above the tanks, and that the rest of
the tanks are in good shape, you could have new tops welded onto the
existing tanks and hopefully you can get a welder, space permitting, to do
so in situ.
Another idea is to grind down to clean metal and, using epoxy and
fiberglass, glass on a new top, over the existing top. Works pretty good.
Did this with one of those huge storage tanks that are found at fuel
terminals... yep, covered the entire domed top that was rusting thru, so
it isn't necessarily something to scoff at.
If possible, maybe just a stop gap, then too, maybe more permanent. But if
neither idea is practical for you, maybe they'll stimulate another idea.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
I had a leaky tank lined with aircraft fuel tank sealer. If the FAA
approves, so do I. Not an easy job, but works very well, as long as you have
enough steel to still be structurally sound. No leaks since, and that was
maybe 7 years ago.
Keith
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
I know that some companies line steel tanks in the petroleum storage tank
market (gas stations) Are there any vendors that come in and do a spray
lining on these old steel boat tanks?