New to the forum

[mondofromredondo]

Hello,
My name is Keith and I'm new to this forum.
Sold my Pacific Seacraft sailboat a few months back.
Just bought myself a 2001 39 Californian with twin Volvo TAMD 63's.
As soon as the boat was mine one of the fuel tanks sprung a leak and $11k later its about ready to make the trip from Oakland to Los Angeles.

Besides a few other small items the boat seems to be in very good shape. I look fwd to reading more about all your experiences with your Californians.

Keith

 

[HopCar]

Welcome aboard! I think you'll find coming over to the power side was a good decision.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[O C Diver]

Welcome to the forum! Oouch, tough way to start with a new boat.

Ted

 

[Peter B]

Yes, welcome, however I guess you've already considered the statistical likelihood of the tank leak just starting after you bought her, but hey, stuff happens...
You've bought a good design, and should have a lot of good times with her.

 

[FOG]

Welcome aboard.
Just so you don't think you're the only one Murphy follows around. I had to replace a leaking fuel tank in my Prairie 36 within the first month of purchasing her.
Also from SoCal, but now in NC.
Also my first trawler, with several sailboats in my past.

 

[BruceK]

Welcome aboard!
It sounds ominously like there might be a short term method of plugging a leaky fuel tank on boats for sale.

 

[mondofromredondo]

In retrospect I kinda sorta wish I had simply emptied the tank, cleaned the leaky area from the inside and sanded it smooth, then made a patch from alum sheet metal and then simply used some of that JBWELD that is made specifically for fuel tanks as it is some sort of resin based material. I bet it would have lasted another 15 years. But that experiment will now be put on the back burner until the other tank develops a leak. In the meantime next week I will begin the 380 mile cruise to Los Angeles. I have always been afraid of Volvo engines as they are very expensive in terms of parts. I hope these 600 hour machines will treat me well with continued care. Getting to the heat exchangers is a real PIA. I'm going to try plumbing in a quick disconnect system on the raw water side to periodically run that "Barnacle Buster" product thru the raw water side. Hopefully that form of PM for the heat exchanger will give it an extra 5 or 6 years before yanking and boiling out.

 

[HopCar]

Mondo, with a little thought your raw water plumbing job can also be used as an emergency bilge pump. I installed a tee on the intake side of my sea strainer. One side of the tee faces down to the bilge and has a ball valve on it. A hose runs down from the ball valve to the bilge. The other side of the tee has the hose to the sea cock. If I have a flooding problem, I can open the ball valve and close the sea cock and use my engine to pump the bilge.