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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Securing the water tank

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k3fuller
1st Mate

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USA
82 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/09/2022 : 17:20:39

This winters project is to add pressure water to the galley sink and replace the original water tubing which is pretty bad. I was getting that started today and when trying to remove the old tubing the water tank broke free. It appears what Catalina did was secure the tank to a plywood mount and I'm guessing epoxied that to the top of the water ballast tanks so it didn't move. Being wood I'm guessing that the bottom layer that was epoxied has rotted or separated itself in some fashion (see pictures). So now I need to resecure the tank in some fashion so I don't have it sliding/flying around down there when sailing. Any thoughts for me on how to resecure it? My initial thought is to put a couple of through bolted pad eyes from below the table and use a ratchet strap or something like that.

2004 250WB #781

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1311 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2022 : 18:16:37

Hi Kemp. The tank on "Mariah", was held in place without a wooden frame but solidly siliconed and embedded directly to the floor on all four sides. It was pressed, by the looks of it, into a deep beat of flexible caulking which had bonded well to the fiberglass and tank and formed a 1/2" or so ridge on the perimeter making it hard to pry the tank loose. A ridge of still flexible caulking surrounded the tank, holding it firmly in place.

No additional fasteners were observed. No mold was observed below the tank either. A closer observation showed that the (Factory?) penciled in a line to show the outline of the tank and where to place the caulking.

We removed the tank in order to relocate a new, smaller tank, behind the wet locker and installed an electrical 12v on demand in line pump to the galley and did not change the manual pump in the head.

Henk & Johanna
"Floating", a few off your "barnacles".
"Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016)
"Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018)
"Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023)
"Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)

k3fuller
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
82 Posts

Response Posted - 01/10/2022 : 21:26:19

Thanks! I'll have to climb into the Lazarette to get to the tank to cut off the old hose and that will give me a better view of how it was bonded. Perhaps I will do something like flexible calk but I need a closer inspection. Always interesting how every boat project I undertake expands in scope and money LOL. Hopefully Russ will respond as well how his was done as his boat is very close in hull numbers to mine and I'd like to know what was done on his boat.

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1311 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2022 : 12:47:06

Yes... there are lots of ways to install tanks or bladders

If, doing it again, one might want to consider flexible bladder tanks. They are inexpensive, seem easy to install and/or remove and are available in a variety of sizes and shapes.

A similar pump to what we used is available at Amazon. The only restriction is that the pump must be installed below the water level of the tank. This, to avoid leaks, is not a pressurized system but water is supplied on demand and works good with the original manual pump in the head

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07WDR4SDK/?coliid=I20OREQW103KUJ&colid=2HOKSATZDE1F8&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it_im

Edited by - zeil on 01/12/2022 14:46:34

Russ.Johnson
Commodore

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2022 : 16:36:54

quote:
Originally posted by k3fuller

... Always interesting how every boat project I undertake expands in scope and money LOL.

Hopefully Russ will respond as well how his was done as his boat is very close in hull numbers to mine and I'd like to know what was done on his boat.

Kemp, it's nice to hear from you again.
So, this is a test to see if I read your posts?

I also have the water tank plywood platform.
I haven't checked how well it is secured, so I might have the same problem.
The water tank is on top of the ballast tank, so can't screw anything down.
If the damage it's too bad, were you thinking of using epoxy to secure the wood frame?

Russ Johnson
2005 C250WB Hull 793

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4013 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2022 : 09:30:10

I would contact Catalina and ask them how and what was used to secure the tank. Plastics and adhesives don't get along very well and using the wrong one can be disastrous.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

k3fuller
1st Mate

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USA
82 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2022 : 16:14:05

Russ, I was thinking epoxy, but I am starting to think some kind of adhesive (not 5200 LOL). Calling Catalina tech support is probably a good idea so I'll do that next week, though I'm afraid they'll say "whatever adhesive they had on the production floor". Having now successfully been under the floor and replaced the tubing I can see the original adhesive was like black. Makes me wonder if it was the same as the hatch gasket adhesive. It made some ridges that capture the wood frame so it wouldn't move. Still a little cold here to finish the project but it's supposed to warm up this week.

2004 250WB #781

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5323 Posts

Response Posted - 01/16/2022 : 20:29:30

On my C25, the plastic tank is boxed in underneath the starboard settee. I realize that the C250 is a very different boat, however, is there a way to construct a fiberglass-wrapped box somewhere in the hold such that the box is tabbed to the hull with fiberglass and resin/epoxy? I�d guess that such a combination would never disconnect itself from the boat, at least in a lifetime, unless it was poorly done.
If you�re thinking about replacing a hard sides tank with a bladder, a containment box is even more important. These are known to �wander� around in the hold if not specifically contained in a box or enclosure. Imagine 25 gallons of 8#/gallon water (200# of water) sloshing around below decks in a chop or breaking waves. Not what I feel like doing any time soon!

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 01/16/2022 20:44:53

k3fuller
1st Mate

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USA
82 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2022 : 09:29:25

I have some resolution to this issue finally. I called tech support and they weren't sure how it was done. I thought it was some kind of adhesive calk but after pulling everything off the V-Berth and getting down inside it looks to me like they used the same adhesive cement I've seen used to secure liners to the hull in various boats. That would make sense as it was readily available on the shop floor. Here's a couple pics.

(we are looking at the port side of the tank frame)

They did a good job of building up mounds on the insides of the frame so it wouldn't slide from side to side but that doesn't help it fore and aft (although there's not much room to slide aft. So in the end, what I did was clean up the joints and use West Epoxy with adhesive filler and epoxied it back down. It's not going anywhere now!

2004 250WB #781

Edited by - k3fuller on 02/22/2022 09:30:36

Russ.Johnson
Commodore

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2022 : 10:01:27

Kemp,

Another fine solution completed.
I'll have to check my water tank.

Russ

Russ Johnson
2005 C250WB Hull 793

k3fuller
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
82 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2022 : 09:11:42

Thanks Russ. This forum has been super helpful to me and my boat over the years by all those who have preceded me here. Someday, someone else is going to have this problem, just like the centerboard bushing. :- )

2004 250WB #781

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