Watch this if you have an old Sail boat Ep 430

You did the right thing opening up the tank to deal with the problem and I'm sure you will come up with a rock solid fix.
To others that wonder if their tank is a ticking time bomb of corrosion and growth, following is a possible tool to help you determine if the tank needs cleaning or replacement without cutting access holes. Purchase some Gasoila paste, and a wood or metal dowel that will fit into one of your tank access points (my tank had a spare 1/2" fitting welded on with a removable threaded plug). You may have to use the return fuel line port if a spare access is not available (note the pickup line will have a dip tube so its not a good candidate). The dowel should be long enough to reach all the way to the bottom of the tank. Coat the bottom inch of the dowel with the paste and lower it down to the bottom. Should the paste changed color, it came in contact with water. Needless to say, if you got water in the bottom of the tank, there is probably corrosion and or growth. You can also use the dowel to scrap the bottom of the tank to check for growth. My 35 year old IP had no water or growth. I have treated my tanks with byocide each time fuel was added and the boat is stored with a full tank in the off season. I was told the previous owner did the same. Here's hoping your tanks are water free.

Do your selves a favour... Remove the tank and cut off whatever you need to, of the bottom, (its crap anyway) and replace the plate with new aluminum. It doesnt have to v but it HAS to be good for a long time. Out of the boat is better to weld.

Your fuel tank sludge looks exactly like what I find at the back of my fridge, when I do its regular cleaning regime (every 5 years, punctually & religiously).

Sorry about the fuel tank but at least you cleaned and will be a better piece of mind you wont have to worry about it.merry Christmas and happy new year.

Impressive! Resolve and fortitude.
A role model not only for your family but for all of us.

Merry 🎄 Christmas.

I would want you on my team.

Please don’t lose hope. You all have just about replaced and repaired everything!

Merry Christmas to you all 😊

Could give a “Blue Demon Triple Play Low Temp Aluminum-Zinc Brazing Rod “ to fix the leak. No welding skills required

Merry Christmas.

sometimes with those older aluminium tanks - all you need to get a pin hole in them is a dropped piece of wire, steel, even a painters scraper resting against the alloy for a time - and corrosion sets in. its craps darts but maybe the JB weld will fly - if you dont fill the tank completely - like only 1/2 fill as you need?

Merry Christmas , have a safe Holiday, see you in the New Year.

Merry Christmas to the four of you. May 2025 be full of wonderful sailing adventures. Cheers!

Nearly there guys.
Merry Christmas to you all and look forward to seeing the big girl splash in the new year.

Shame, the CAT sounds vegan or pescaterian.....maybe it was an LA or New Yorker before being abandoned for its eating preferences ....🤪🤪

Merry Christmas and a safe 2025

Merry Christmas to all!

It's better finding the tank problem now than after you splash.. have a merry Christmas to you all and a happy new year

Stay strong Lee. You’ve made the right move every step of the way. These last “tests” just further prove your worth and capabilities. The light at the end of your tunnel is a bright sky and not an oncoming train.😊

Merry Xmas guys look forward to seeing how you celebrate xxx

Captain Fix It is the appropriate title for Lee. I think I’m finally caught up to date. I often wonder if the tank is that bad on the boat, how bad are the fuel tanks at the marina? Could that sludge be coming from fuel ups? And now rats?? Is it time to find out a little more about the previous owner. What kind of a guy was he. What was his personality like? Bella did a voice over on the Catamaran trip back to Australia and mentioned the owner died onboard. Is his spirit living onboard now and teasing you guys with all of these boat projects he never got to why he was alive? Is it time for an exorcist to come onboard and rid boat project spirit away? 🤣 Looking forward to see the inspection ports installed. Enjoy. P.S is that Jay Collin on the mast, me? If so it’s CALLIN! 😂 🥰

Happy Christmas Rice family. Hope you have a great, peaceful Christmas and thank you for another great vlog.

Great, in-depth look at a singular, but ultimately so critical, part of your beloved vessel. How many more SV's and MV's must be out there with fouled fuel tanks!

Have a good one ❤

Bella is a babe ❤❤

What are those DEMON EYES in the back ground over your left shoulder?? LOL, you edited those Demon eyes out of your video. It was distracting. Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.

Merry Christmas guys & all the best for the new year ❤. Mmm, you have me worried about our boat now. Mmm something that needs checking 👍.
SV Kiwi Lady Opua Bay of islands New Zealand 👍🏿

i love your pussycat , i have been following you guys for ages and that cat has no idea what he is infor travelling oceans , cheers Alister in OZ.

I cant believe you didn't check your fuel tanks ages ago and not leave it till the last minute. Looks like you need to renew it to me, or at least take it out and total reweld. Best Christmas wishes to you all.

Ahhhh the feeling of having a clean tank will be such good peace of mind. We just ran into some diesel bug cutting off our engine at the worst possible time .

Get outa that marina ! I haven’t watched for a while, but you ALL……… look OLDER ! ( sorry…. Truth bomb )

Run a magnet in the bilge

Love the cat

You can get galvanic corrosion inside an oil tank. At the boundary between the water and oil (or sludge) there can be a differential oxygen cell corroding. It usually manifests as a line of corrosion. The first thought of a pin hole from breaking the welding arc is classic and the most likely cause of a pin hole at a weld.

We had a very similar experience with our 20+ year old “new to us” sailboat. Fortunately, it was a fairly easy removal and once we cut the inspection ports and got it cleaned out, it was evident that it needed to be replaced! We took the opportunity to add some upgrades to the new tank and now have the peace of mind of knowing that we won’t be facing any unexpected fuel issues while under passage.

Merry Christmas and a very happy, healthy and adventurous 2025!

Hopefully that bilge pump exit being that low doesn't cause water to backlog into the pump.

Disregard if you replaced tank. Due to Ukraine war, the steel went up to 4x, quoted 12k usd. We had same problem. My hubby pulled tank and fixed with his dad’s help, the engineer whom built dams and missile silos. Our tank was original, now we’ve sailed 7200 miles no problems. If interested let us know. I don’t know what all he did, i’m a flight nurse, i fix people. lol.

i had to watch the video twice b/c of the cat 😂
do you have a fuel cleaning system just before the engine? might consider it. Merry Christmas and see you in the new year.

Hang in there guys! You got this!

A tank that accessible I’d focus on the bilge pump, let the small bit leak for a week (or set up a temporary tank), shove that boat in the water and fix the tank on the blue…

Merry Christmas to you guys. I hope 2025 is full of incredible cruising and great times. Did I miss the rigging being done? I saw the episode of installing the masts but don't see the rigging.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Splashing is getting closer and closer!

Thanks

Thank you and merry Christmas from Coolum Beach, Qld

Lee u got the patience of a saint ol mate good on ya , have a great chrissy u lot and may be red sails in the sunset.😅

Hello and Merry Christmas Sarah, Lee, and Family.
Please don't use JB Weld in fuel, it will fail. The product you want is Flame Master 8802. It is made to coat and seal "wet wing" aircraft fuel tanks. It is made to bond to the aluminum skin of aircraft, and be in constant contact with fuel without breaking down.
Hope to see you splashed in Jan 25!

Merry Christmas and happy new yearCAPATA family

We know your pain! We own a pearson 424 ketch. When and if we need to replace our diesel tank I would use a fuel bladder. We used these in the military for fuels and potable water.

Have a Bonzer Christmas and splash in the New Year