1986 19'6 Center Console (05/26/08 updated pics)

[fabuck71]

Here is the new one   .  Sorry about the quality, phone camera.  Boat before purchase:


Tank before cleaning:

Tank After Cleaning, no pits, Manufactured in 2001:

Any Idea how to tighten these straps:

Outside in shop:

They had an auxillary gas tank under floor also, looks factory:


Let me know what you all think?  One soft spot it the floor going to repair, new paint on the outside, Engine is 1994 120 Johnson w/130 compression across the board and lower unit oil not milky.  1994 Trailer, Aluminum Torsion Axle.  Couldn't pass it up for $2500.00.

[fabuck71]

Any ideas on how to tighten those straps?

[LilRichard]

Alex - no clue, sorry.  Maybe try redrilling the mounting holes?

[fabuck71]

Thank you I was thinking that, just hate drilling around the tank!

[RickK]

I think the boat is a 200 Osprey, no?  Not a 196.
Good looking find though, especially for the price. A new trailer is worth the $2500 alone.

[fabuck71]

You are correct sorry.  These 1980's boats are too new for me  

[Mad Dog]

Any ideas on how to tighten those straps?

Is the tank moving around in the hold?  Maybe oaky the way it is.  

Are those crimped fasteners holding the two ends together?  If crimps are holding fast perhaps you could shim up under them with pieces of rubber or plastic.

Or, pull the straps apart completely, put a 90 degree bent in each end with say a two inch gap between them, drill a #10 or 1/4" hole and connect the two ends using a 2 1/2" stainless bolt.  Drawn the two ends together until you are satisfied with the fit.  I doubt a tank should be so tightly strapped down that has no room to expand or that the flexof the hull puts a strain on the tank.  

My $.02.

Looking again at the image above, that strap looks like it was broken once before and had a pop rivet to reconnect.  Everytime I have come across that type of clamp there has been a problem.  You may want to replace the strap completely.  My 22-2 used four pieces of 1.5" wide aluminum strips which were screwed into the stringer.  If your AS has trapazoid stingers then there is a plywood backed glued inside the stringer as a backer.  Should be fairly easy to replace.

[fabuck71]

Doesn't move much.  The shim trick should work ....... great idea.  I'll 5200 it so it doesn't slide out.  There was matress pad shoved down the sides of the tank before   !

[LilRichard]

Is there a reason you don't just foam the tank?  In my opinion this is the easiest and most functional method...

[John Jones]

foam makes corrosion

[LilRichard]

Sorry JJ, gotta disagree with you on that one.  Foam done incorrectly (read: Holds water) does allow corrosion.  However a properly foamed tank (and coated with coal tar) will last a looong time.

[John Jones]

Yes, if you can manage to keep it dry it will be fine.  What lengths does one have to go to to to keep it absolutely dry?  One damp spot against the aluminum will cause crevice corrosion and within 10 years you will be ripping it out again.  It's just personal preference but I had just rather mount it where moisture cannot get trapped and forget about it rather than deal with foam, coal tar epoxy, and then trying to figure out how to keep it absolutely dry.

[Bushleaguer]

Fabuck71-
IMO, you should pull the tank and inspect the bottom.  You have gone this far, so going the next step isn't too big a deal.  I pulled the hatch on my 1987 22-2 and it looked much like yours from the top.  However, when I pulled the tank, I found pitting on the bottom- all of it behind the foam rubber softeners between the straps and the tank, and between the two foam rubber strips that were laying on the bottom of the coffin to support the tank.  You could obviously see where the water was trapped against the tank and that's where the corrosion was.  I would say that the pits I found would have been leaking within the next couple of years.

As to the method of re-mounting the tank, I have done some extensive research into the causes of alluminum corrosion, and have at this point decided to go with the yachtsurvey.com method.  I know that warthog and lilrichard are big proponents of coal tar and foam, but I worry that over time if the epoxy becomes compromised somehow, it will just provide a means for water to be trapped against the metal, and you are back where you started.  Just my opinion.  Even though there is an argument as to the amount of air that gets in the coffin box (small enclosed space), I believe that letting some air get in thru the deck inspection plates every now and then should suffice to keep the natural oxidized coating on the metal, allowing it to self protect.

[fabuck71]

I may do that.  I looks pretty good now but I know what you mean!

[LilRichard]

I don't think either way is "perfect", for my application I chose foam because of functionality.  My coffin did not have adequate room for supports - so foam worked better.  I do think foam is easier to get setup correctly - the straps take more work to ensure they are done properly.