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Equinox Project | Tuesday, February 17, 2009 The fuel tank, now out of the boat, still contained a bit of diesel that I couldn't pump out, and I also expected to find a normal collection of debris from years of fuel storage. I poured what fuel I could out into an open container, which I then emptied into a larger container for storage and eventual disposal. The remaining fuel was full of grit and rust from inside the tank, not unsurprisingly. Diesel is not a clean material at its best. |
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Overall, I thought the original fuel tank was in good condition, with only some minor external rusting and no signs of any serious structural issues. I planned to clean up and repaint the tank before reinstallation, seeing no reason to require tank replacement at this point. Still, I needed to get a better look inside, so I removed the fuel gauge assembly to allow me to shine a light in and peer through the fuel fill neck to inspect the tank. This initial inspection revealed a fair amount of sludge and rust contained in the small amount of fuel that still remained, so I upturned the tank and shook it out to get rid of everything I could through the small openings. This helped, but I started thinking about installing an inspection port in the tank to allow for a thorough cleaning, both now and in the future. Research on this is now underway. |
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Biding time while awaiting electrical materials and, eventually, the new engine, I spent several minutes preparing for the soon-to-start electrical installation by sorting tools and in-stock electrical connectors and the like, and getting organized for the job ahead. Similarly, I pulled the bow and stern pulpits out of storage so that I could begin to assess their wiring needs (for sidelights and sternlight) and move on from there, and also went through a few boxes of random stored items that had come up with the boat to see if there were any important bits and pieces I needed and might not have known about, or forgotten (there weren't). Later, I continued the brightwork project, sanding, cleaning, and revarnishing the on-deck woodwork, rudder, tiller, and new swashboards. At the end of the day, I sanded and repainted (2nd coat) the boottop on the rudder. |
 
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