Deck plate O rings

[BobP]

Don't forget to service your deck plate O ring seals.

Not one drop of water is to pass onto the top of the gas tanks below, if you care about tank life longevity.

Take out the cap the day after it rains, is the tank top bone dry?

Gently take the o ring out of the cap groove, clean it gently, clean the grove on both cap and base. Inspect o ring, any cuts, nicks? Same for groove.

Reinstall, if the cap is not snug, get a new o ring and try first. If you palm the cap and try to twist it (pry type) I don't think you should be able to rotate it readily.

Do same inspection and cleaning process for screw type.

Do same inspection and cleaning process for gas tank fill caps, oil tank fill caps, FW water tank fill cap.

 

[flynnaire]

Also dont forget The GW factory recomends hosing down the tanks with fresh water every 6 months.

 

[gw204]

Also dont forget The GW factory recomends hosing down the tanks with fresh water every 6 months.

To me, that is a very foolish thing to do given the amount of wood in these boats that isn't properly encapsulated.

 

[BobP]

Hosing down the tanks? In Grady White owners manual ?

Those neoprene strips will look forward to hearing that.

 

[flynnaire]

Grady Manual???? Not sure I said that. pretty sure I said the factory recomends to flush the tanks with fresh water. Sorry about the confusion.

That was passed on to me by the tech I was working with last year to move a main tank forward in a 228 2005.

Water will always inter the bilge under the tanks from the drain in the stern. foolish to flush that out? Hum. Well color me foolish I have been doing it for years and my tanks look great.

I agree about the wood though. One of the things I have learned to deal with in all my GW's. Here's a picture of a fresh water tank mount in a 2005 228 that is between the main and aux tank. Yes that is non marine ply and plain ole 2x4's. Right from the factory

Nature of the beast and I still keep buying them. Maybe thats foolish

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[BobP]

That looks like an aluminum tank I see(?) Don't see a FW tank.

The gas tanks sit on flat foors, the keel is V shaped, if one maintains a low bilge water level, the bottom of the tank has a chance to stay dry.

The bottom of the tank to clean it would require pulling the deck and tanks, every six months?

It will most certainly save the tanks forever. The mechanic is right on that.

Too much work for me, so for the rest of us -

For many years and I don't know if they still do, Grady used 1 inch wide by 1/8 inch thick neoprene strips on all tank contact areas, thats where galvanic damage results -in the presense of moisture. Moisture on top of the tank has no way to dry since the compartment is purposely not ventilated. On the bottom, whatever water is in the bilge spaces is going to be there, not much one can do except keep it low as reasonably possible. Galvanic activity is very effective at boring holes in the 1/8 inch thick aluminum tank between under neoprene strips.

 

[BobP]

What's that platform for ?

Lots of space undeneath it wasted.

Are the 2x 4s treated, or glassed or at least double epoxied?