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FYI here's where the tank will be mounted. This is a top-down view. The drawing is in French because I'm on a French island. :) The original tank, being a bit over 6 feet long, only had two fiberglassed over wooden wedges as support underneath. Because we're now installing 3 tanks, I had 4 more fibe...

Kevin, It turns out the HDPE Starboard is not ideal as the Sikaflex 291 and 292 that I have will not adhere to it. Apparently nothing sticks to HDPE. Based on this page, I should adhere the non-hydroscopic insulating material to the tank, at the location where it rests on the supports. That way, no ...

The tank builder suggests that we coat the entire tank with epoxy to prevent future issues.

I have read differing opinions with some saying that any coating may start to fail, allow water in and invite corrosion. While others say it's a great way to protect the tank.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks Kevin, The pics help a lot. In this situation, would you be concerned about water getting trapped between the bar and the tank? They are also considering putting a bar across the tops of the tanks, which I presume would it even more likely that water gets trapped between the bar and the tank?...

And could you put a fuel bladder on deck to use until you get to a better place for repairs? Unfortunately the closest "better place" for repairs is New Zealand and that's over two thousand nautical miles away. I don't feel comfortable living with a fuel bladder traveling to the other, ev...

Why can't you cut an access hole in the deck to pull the tank out and install the new one? As this is a center cockpit sailboat and the engine room and tank are below the cockpit, the surface above the tank is actually a cockpit seat and also a shelf inside the boat. Rebuilding that would be a nigh...

First if the tank is supply fuel for a diesel engine (?) doesn't the return stream of fuel used to cool the injector piping return to the tank warm or hot over time? So, if you're concerned w heat build up- doesn't seem like engine room heat would be primary source? I'd be more concerned with retur...

Any aluminum sheet surface can corrode IF there is a means to create and retain a thin film of water- vertical/bottom/top...... the key is the thin gap between any other surface- that allows capillary action to retain moisture; that can then shift pf. The worst is a poultice type of circumstance, l...

First off, apologies for the late reply. My internet isn't always the best and somehow the reply notification emails went to spam. First, 5083, like 5086 do have strain hardening properties that require a bending nose bar, on a press brake, to be 4T- the radius should be four times the thickness of ...

Hi all, I'm hoping for some help in repairing a leaking aluminum diesel tank. I'm on a 54 foot GRP sailboat on a circumnavigation and boats being boats, the tank started leaking in the middle of nowhere and needs to be repaired or replaced. The boat is currently in French Polynesia, so while I'm luc...