Yes!! new 78 22-2 I/O, and now some questions

[lordnarvinye]

Allo all,
     Been reading this forum quite a bit, waiting for my membership to activate.  Picked up 222 twin console/cuddy cabin for a song.  From an outside and deck inspection, the hull is in great shape, along with the gelcoat, just some minor cracking of the fiberglass on strbd and port aft quarters where the top edge of the gunnel/transom corners bumped something.  On to my question.
  About a week ago I was exploring the boat, and I unscrewed a round access hatch, which allowed me to view the tank fill guage.  It was damp, almost like the bottom of a bilge, but no water.  It's been in my driveway in Jax, FL, and after a couple rainshowers, I now have standing water there, about an inch or two.  Don;t know the word for it, but unscrewed and pulled up a large section of the deck above the tank.  There is foam all around it, the aft half of which seems sodden.  
   (1) Do I remove this foam?  How?
   (2) Do I attempt to drill through it to allow the water to drain, and if so where?  Center aft of the tank?  Center forward?  Or to on side or the other?

Other than this, and some slight issues with the OMC drive, she seems to not need any kind of a rebuild...unless there's something I'm missing...I'm new to owning a boat, which I know is making a lot of you wince, but well, it's a dream =)

[GoneFission]

You probably will need to remove the tank, remove the foam, and then reinstall the tank.  A small hole drilled in the rear of the tank tub should allow for future water drainage.  The cover needs to be caulked in when you reinstall it to prevent water intrusion in the future.  

Also inspect that tank carefully when you have it out - look for corrosion and pits - it's not unusual that you may find some problems if there has been much water in there.

[JimCt]

Free water in the tank space isn't really a safety concern by itself, it simply adds extra static weight to the boat which affects performance to a degree.  BUT, what GF said about standing water or damp foam in constant contact with the the aluminum tank should be taken very seriously. Over time this condition will cause pitting of the aluminum tank and ultimately failure. Also as GF said, pulling the fuel tank and removing/renewing the foam shouldn't be a huge project...

Please post pictures when you get the opportunity.

Lastly, Welcome Aboard!  New members to the group and new boats/projects keep the unending education process moving for all of us.