It seem s every time I call or inquire about new tanks and tank replacement The prices keep on going north ..Now I understand about metals prices going up and all but those prices have stablazied over the past couple of months. Not only are the tank prices going up but the labor to replace them keeps creeping up,,, are Boatyards taking advantage of the situation....???? The last place wants to bill me for 40 hours labor @$65 per.. to remove the tank..Can that be SO??.All my hoses were done just a year ago ...
DavidR
Are we being GOUGED with this Tank Stuff ??
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Davidr0007
- Senior Member
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Jun 29th, '06, 18:12
- Location: New Bedford,MA
From the Cape Cod Times today:
Area boat owners discovered in the past few weeks that ethanol can gum up engines and filters and even lead to the deterioration of certain kinds of fuel tanks.
Depending on the age and condition of the marine vehicle, boat experts said the new fuel blend could be merely a manageable nuisance or a potentially explosive problem.
''It's kind of a surprise. No one really expected it to happen so fast,'' said Chuck Fort, assistant editor at the owners association Boat US.
Across the country, states have been switching to gasoline with ethanol instead of MTBE, a possible human carcinogen that has polluted U.S. water supplies.
The new additive, essentially an alcohol made from corn, has made a smooth transition into automobile fuel.
But boats, which have similar engines but different fuel systems, have had unexpected problems that mechanics sometimes have a difficult time identifying.
Recently, local mechanics report, more boats than usual have been towed in with clogged filters or engine trouble.
''The biggest problem is that you aren't supposed to mix this new stuff with the old stuff,'' Turner said.
It is unclear exactly what happens when old and new gas mix, Fort said, but it can create a sludge that clogs carburetors.
The best bet is pumping off the old gas before you fill up with the new stuff - a somewhat expensive prospect at about $7 a gallon.
''It's a hell of a lot cheaper than towing it in,'' said Rick Schermerhorn, from Edwards Boatyard in East Falmouth.
Mechanics also recommend cleaning the tank or carrying spare filters, since the ethanol will scrub free any tank debris. That could clog filters or cause other damage.
Even owners with well-maintained boats should watch out for water getting into their engines.
Unlike car engines, boat engines vent to the air, allowing water to build up in the tank in the moist marine environment.
In that environment, the ethanol can mix with the water and separate from the gasoline, changing the octane of the fuel or even allowing water to enter the engine.
Greg Galvin, president of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, suggested boaters use a water separating filter to prevent water from leaving the fuel tank.
The biggest headaches - and expenses - may be for boaters with fiberglass fuel tanks.
The tanks, which were put in boats in the mid-1980s and earlier, can deteriorate in the presence of the ethanol. In a handful of documented cases, tanks have leaked, creating a potentially explosive situation, Fort said.
At Onset Bay Marina, Galvin has replaced four fuel tanks and has more waiting. The costs can run $800 to $1,500 for a tank and $3,000 for labor.
''It is good for us, but it isn't too good for boat owner. We have some boat owners here who have chosen not to put them in (the water) for the season,'' Galvin said. ''It's unfortunate to see people not be able to use their boats.''
But some boat owners, such as Rick Schaffer, whose boats have fiberglass tanks, are hoping their tanks last one more season. Schaffer, who docks his Bertram 33 Sport Fish at Green Pond Marina, said he is frustrated with the lack of reliable information available from the boat builder.
''That is the one fear factor we all have, that our tanks will be compromised and we will be blown up and die while we are on our way,'' Schaffer said.
Amanda Lehmert...
CMP
Area boat owners discovered in the past few weeks that ethanol can gum up engines and filters and even lead to the deterioration of certain kinds of fuel tanks.
Depending on the age and condition of the marine vehicle, boat experts said the new fuel blend could be merely a manageable nuisance or a potentially explosive problem.
''It's kind of a surprise. No one really expected it to happen so fast,'' said Chuck Fort, assistant editor at the owners association Boat US.
Across the country, states have been switching to gasoline with ethanol instead of MTBE, a possible human carcinogen that has polluted U.S. water supplies.
The new additive, essentially an alcohol made from corn, has made a smooth transition into automobile fuel.
But boats, which have similar engines but different fuel systems, have had unexpected problems that mechanics sometimes have a difficult time identifying.
Recently, local mechanics report, more boats than usual have been towed in with clogged filters or engine trouble.
''The biggest problem is that you aren't supposed to mix this new stuff with the old stuff,'' Turner said.
It is unclear exactly what happens when old and new gas mix, Fort said, but it can create a sludge that clogs carburetors.
The best bet is pumping off the old gas before you fill up with the new stuff - a somewhat expensive prospect at about $7 a gallon.
''It's a hell of a lot cheaper than towing it in,'' said Rick Schermerhorn, from Edwards Boatyard in East Falmouth.
Mechanics also recommend cleaning the tank or carrying spare filters, since the ethanol will scrub free any tank debris. That could clog filters or cause other damage.
Even owners with well-maintained boats should watch out for water getting into their engines.
Unlike car engines, boat engines vent to the air, allowing water to build up in the tank in the moist marine environment.
In that environment, the ethanol can mix with the water and separate from the gasoline, changing the octane of the fuel or even allowing water to enter the engine.
Greg Galvin, president of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, suggested boaters use a water separating filter to prevent water from leaving the fuel tank.
The biggest headaches - and expenses - may be for boaters with fiberglass fuel tanks.
The tanks, which were put in boats in the mid-1980s and earlier, can deteriorate in the presence of the ethanol. In a handful of documented cases, tanks have leaked, creating a potentially explosive situation, Fort said.
At Onset Bay Marina, Galvin has replaced four fuel tanks and has more waiting. The costs can run $800 to $1,500 for a tank and $3,000 for labor.
''It is good for us, but it isn't too good for boat owner. We have some boat owners here who have chosen not to put them in (the water) for the season,'' Galvin said. ''It's unfortunate to see people not be able to use their boats.''
But some boat owners, such as Rick Schaffer, whose boats have fiberglass tanks, are hoping their tanks last one more season. Schaffer, who docks his Bertram 33 Sport Fish at Green Pond Marina, said he is frustrated with the lack of reliable information available from the boat builder.
''That is the one fear factor we all have, that our tanks will be compromised and we will be blown up and die while we are on our way,'' Schaffer said.
Amanda Lehmert...
CMP
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Bulletproof
- Senior Member
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Jul 3rd, '06, 07:08
- Location: Marblehead, MA
- Contact:
Removing the tank
Once I pumped out all the gas, filled it up with water I had it cut to pieces in about 3 hours. I spent the morning on Saturday grinding the glass off that held the plywood base in place. Now I'm cleaning the hull in preparation for receiving the new tank next spring. If your tank lifts right out like some who have had that luck it might save you the hours of cutting that I dealt with. It's alot of work for one person I'll tell you!
Paul Haggett
B31 Bulletproof
Marblehead, MA
B31 Bulletproof
Marblehead, MA
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