Miss Delmarva

[seabob4]

Bob how are you going to wire bond the tank? Are you just going from the fill to the tank, then back to the battery ground or are you going to a pad on the out side of the boat below the water line? Just wondering. I haven’t keep up on the reg’s. My 222ccp has a ground pad below the water line on the outside of the transum. The 19-6 doesn't have a gas gage. So I'm going to put one on this year. when I looked at the top of the tank. Their is no ground on  it . So I'm going to put one on.

Walt,
That ground "pad" is what is known as a Dyna-plate, typically used on larger boats where serious electronic are installed and then grounded to the plate.  However, the plate still has to be tied into ship's 12VDC- to complete the circuit.  MOST boat's simply use the 12VDC- bus bar, or, if they have one, the hull zinc, which is also tied into the ground circuit.  I'm simply going to run a short jumper from the ground on the sender to the ground tab, then HOPEFULLY get a wire out to the fill...we'll find out.

Leis, Scott's fill is installed with #10 oval head self-tappers.  I'll replace 1 screw with a 10-24 machine screw so I can secure the bond wire...

[saltfly]

Thank Bob I’m going to look up the requirements for boats. I have to do a total rewiring on the boat, I’m rebuilding for my daughter and son in law. My grandbaby’s are going to be on that boat, so I’m going to be really careful about all safety issues.

[seabob4]

Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat...

No way was I going to be able to snake a bond wire forward from the tank...but, from looking at the pics, I should have a straight shot aft from the pass through where the hoses enter that forward compartment...and I did!  And I have a ground bus back there!  WOO HOO!









All tied together in a bit of a round about way.

[seabob4]

Walt,
Read this...http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/fuel.html  Note the comments on plastic fuel tank grounding when using metallic fills...boring, but good reading.  Note it also states that all metallic components that come in contact with fuel must be grounded...

[gran398]

Good quick way out SB!

I called the engraver about the switch panel. He said the engraving is perfect. However, the laser is not getting a good job cutting the holes...the plastic is cracking in places.

He is going to order more material, and do it again. I think this time we'll let another shop cut the holes (acrylic shop here) then take it back to him for the engraving.

 Sorry for the delay.

[seabob4]

Good quick way out SB!

I called the engraver about the switch panel. He said the engraving is perfect. However, the laser is not getting a good job cutting the holes...the plastic is cracking in places.

He is going to order more material, and do it again. I think this time we'll let another shop cut the holes (acrylic shop here) then take it to him for the engraving.

 Sorry for the delay.

No worries Scott.  Like we talked this morn, I have all the components that go into the panel, so when I get it, it will go in pretty quickly.

Other things to do, you know...  

[seabob4]

And yes, that pic was taken of the bonding tab on the tank BEFORE I re-installed the ground wire on the sender...

[gran398]

Good quick way out SB!

I called the engraver about the switch panel. He said the engraving is perfect. However, the laser is not getting a good job cutting the holes...the plastic is cracking in places.

He is going to order more material, and do it again. I think this time we'll let another shop cut the holes (acrylic shop here) then take it back to him for the engraving.

 Sorry for the delay.

Maybe faster progress than expected. The folks that do our signs at work have a CNC router. So will have them cut out the panel, cut out the switch and breaker holes....then take it back to the engraving shop to apply the switch names and AS logo.

It should all be done this week.

[RickK]

Thanks for the link SB.  So what is it saying about poly tanks?

Recent events have caused the boating industry to examine the policy regarding the bonding of plastic body fuel fills with metallic caps and retaining chains.  Existing USCG & ABYC policy states that the bonding of these components is voluntary.  A study by IMANNA Laboratories has shown that connecting the metallic retaining chain and cap of a plastic body fuel fill assembly to a boats bonding system may result in electrostatic discharge from a land-based fuel pump nozzle to the metallic components of the assembly when the boat is not in the water.  This condition does not exist when the boat is in the water due to the equalizations of the ground potentials between the fuel pump nozzle and the boats bonding system.  

It is recommended by ABYC and the USCG that new and existing installations of this type of fuel fill assembly DO NOT INCLUDE any attachment to the boats bonding system. Existing connections should be removed from the point of connection to the boats bonding system to the fuel fill assembly.  Removal of the metallic components of the assembly is not necessary; however, the U.S. Coast Guard and ABYC still require that METALLIC body fuel fills be bonded.
 

The way I am reading it, you should not use a plastic fuel fill (I thought they were all metal) and if you do - don't run a wire from the fuel fill to ground.  But if you use a metal fuel fill, ground it.  Is that how you read it?

[fitz73222]

Scotty,
Frank emailed me yesterday (never checked emails, was like computer awol yesterday!), said he was starting on your stuff but hadn't received the console door yet.  Might want to contact him...

Console door shipped to Mr. Snell today; he'll have it tomorrow.

[seabob4]

All is happy in Tie Bar world!!





The issue we faced was that the tie bar was in REAL close proximity to the cylinder, and, for those of you that have twins know, as the motors start to get close to hardover, the cylinder rotates up...clearance issues bigtime.  Stupid me had basically forgotten all about what we USED to use before Teleflex redesigned the tie bar and attachment points, we called them adapters back in the 90s.  So did some searching, they are called "extension plates", got the pair today from Great Lakes Skipper, brand new unopened, for basically $90.  Cheapest I found the new style HO6001 tie bar kit was $315...so I think Scott's happy!!  Note in the second pic, the most crucial element, clearance wise, would have been the port side hose fitting...and now that's a good inch away from the bar at hardover.  So all is good, took all of 15 minutes to remove the old plates, install the new plates, and install the tie bar.


Rick,
Their are many plastic bodied fuel fills out there now, most have the vent incorporated into them (no more separate vent t/hull), they are usually used on price point boats where costs are tried to be kept at a minimum.  Most have plastic caps as well, the nicer ones have chrome plated plastic caps, haven't really seen any that have a fully metallic cap.  Now, reading what that treatise says, it would appear to me that a very small static electrical charge can build up in the metallic portion of the fill, and, even though the presence of a bonding wire (which should allow that buildup to dissapate via the boat's ground) should ensure safety, apparently, that is not the case.  Which, to be honest with you, doesn't make any sense to me.  The need for a bonding wire on a fully metallic fill does just that, dissapates the build up of static, yet they are saying same said bonding wire allows static to accumulate on plastic fills with metallic components...    

My guess is that all the metallic components were not truly linked together in a solid fashion such that there was continuity throughout the assembly.  Perko makes a fill/vent that a lot of builders use (we used them on some PL models) that has a chrome plated plastic cap and a metallic "keeper" chain.  It would be damn hard to terminate a bonding wire to either of the 2 parts and still have an easily functioning assembly.  It might be interesting to see exactly how these guys went about their testing, but frankly, I don't have insomnia THAT bad!!!

Farley, excellent bud!!  Hope all is well on the other side of the state...  

[GoneFission]

Another good day - keep it coming and thanks!  

[seabob4]

Another good day - keep it coming and thanks!  

We like good days, John...  

[icemanbryan]

Looking really good

[gran398]

Thanks be to SB!

Here is the prototype of the switch panel....had some issues with the cutouts. The CNC router tomorrow should do a better job



Thanks Skoot for the CAS logo  


Bob, is this pretty much what we had in mind?