REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
rnln
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REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby rnln » Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:30 pm

I have a Revenge 22 that I am working on getting back on the water. In Figure 1, below, I don't see the use for the small PVC tube which allows water to pass [between] the chamber in the [upper right] corner [of the photograph] and the fuel tank chamber.

22fuelTankCoverRemoved.jpg
Fig. 1. Deck of REVENGE 22 with fuel tank cover removed showing fuel tank and an unusual drain tube.
22fuelTankCoverRemoved.jpg (50.08 KiB) Viewed 30179 times


Q1: Why would I want water, if there is any, to go to the fuel tank chamber?

Q2: Should the tube be left in place?

Q3: Should the tube be removed and the area completely sealed?

Q4: If water enters the fuel tank area, where else does it exist beside the tunnel on the port side?

At the end of the port rigging tunnel, there is a little tube to drain water to the live well (not illustrated). Since this tunnel is high on top, if water goes into the fuel tank area, the majority of it will stay in the bottom of the fuel tank area unless I have a pump to pump water out.

Q5: Am I correct?

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Thu Nov 04, 2021 5:27 pm

rnln wrote:...I don't see the use for the small PVC tube which allows water to pass [between] the chamber in the [upper right] corner [of the photograph] and the fuel tank chamber.
The area forward of that small tube is drainage from the cabin seats. I would not expect much water to occur in the cabin. Exactly what the original designer of this hull and model was thinking would be the need for the tube is unknown to me.

I have a 1990 REVENGE 22 W-T Whaler Drive, but I have never removed the fuel tank cover. I can't comment if a similar drain is in place on my boat.

rnln wrote:Q1: Why would I want water, if there is any, to go to the fuel tank chamber?
I do not see any reason to intentionally drain water into the fuel tank cavity. The original design of this hull may have assumed that the fuel tank cavity would be completely sealed, and any water entering at the top of the cavity would just sit on the top of the fuel tank and its foam surround, eventually moving aft to exit into the Starboard rigging tunnel via a hole in the bulkhead. Or to evaporate. Or to saturate the foam.

rnln wrote:Q2: Should the tube be left in place?
I don't have a reasoned answer for you.

rnln wrote:Q3: Should the tube be removed and the area completely sealed?
I don't have a reasoned answer for you.

rnln wrote:Q4: If water enters the fuel tank area, where else does it exist beside the tunnel on the port side?
The Port rigging tunnel dead ends at the aft end of the cockpit. Water will accumulate in the Port rigging tunnel until it rises high enough to reach the cross drain tube that leads to the Starboard rigging tunnel; that's how the plumbing is on my boat.

rnln wrote:At the end of the port rigging tunnel, there is a little tube to drain water to the live well (not illustrated).
On my boat the Port rigging tunnel at its aft end is drained into the Starboard rigging tunnel by a hose that runs across the top of the aft cockpit live well.

Vance's Revenge
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Thu Nov 04, 2021 7:26 pm

I completely stripped my 1980 Revenge 22 during my rebuild and have been where you are now. You ask very good questions about Boston Whaler's design to drain water under the deck.

The answer is all water that runs under the deck on the port side is eventually directed to the top of the fuel tank. This turned out to be a horrible design because the foam around the tanks absorbed water causing the aluminum tanks to corrode. But the design it is what it is, now. The design was to send water that enters along the fuel fill and vent hoses down across the top of the fuel tank, through a tube level with the top of the tank into the starboard side rigging tunnel. From there drain out the sump in the starboard stern.

The tunnel you mention with the tube leads to nowhere so that PVC tube is a good thing as long as it is sealed, and water cannot get around it into the foam core. Without that PVC tube, there is no other way for water to get out of that tunnel. My boat didn't have one, so I added one and ran my vent hose through it.

Early model Revenge 22 boats such as mine have a one piece floor section so both the port and starboard cabinets have to be removed to gain access to the fuel tank cavity. To make access easier this was changed on later models so the cabinets no longer have to be removed to gain access to the fuel tank. Figure 3 show's that I made a change and cut my 1 piece floor into two sections adding aluminum angle in sections for support.

The picture in the OP's figure 1 is a later model Revenge 22 which has two piece floor covers so the forward part of the tunnel is not exposed.

I attached what is now Figure 4 to show the factory designed tunnel in its entirety.

Being the OP is so close to the fuel tank. I highly recommend he pull the tank and inspect it for leaks or corrosion.

Whaler pic fuel manifold with painted cover.jpg
Fig. 2. [A modification has been made to create a deck section with fittings to permit the fuel filler hose and the vent hose to pass through the deck level without allowing water to enter. In the OEM configuration the hoses pass through an opening in the deck and enter the athwartship rigging tunnel. That opening also allows water on the deck to drain into the rigging tunnel and thence to the fuel tank cavity area. This is another boat, not the boat under discussion in this thread.]
Whaler pic fuel manifold with painted cover.jpg (61.86 KiB) Viewed 30158 times


whaler pic fuel fill tank to top uncovered.jpg
Fig. 3. [A further modification has been made to separate the fuel filler hose and the vent hose. The vent hose now is passed through a newly created hole in the Port deck liner mold, instead of following the route of the filler hose. This is another boat, not the boat under discussion in this thread.]
whaler pic fuel fill tank to top uncovered.jpg (71.8 KiB) Viewed 30158 times


whaler pic tunnel to nowhere.jpg
Fig. 4. [What appears to be shown here is a rigging tunnel on the Port side forward of the helm area on another boat, not the boat under discussion in this thread.]
whaler pic tunnel to nowhere.jpg (72.27 KiB) Viewed 30135 times


[Moderator's note: I have added figure number designators and captions to the illustrations. Without figure numbers any reference to an illustration becomes awkward. Without captions the details being illustrated are left to the reader to infer. The author should explicitly explain what is being shown in each illustration.]
Last edited by Vance's Revenge on Fri Nov 05, 2021 4:37 pm, edited 4 times in total.

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Fri Nov 05, 2021 10:09 am

Vance's Revenge wrote:The tunnel you mention with the tube leads to nowhere so that PVC tube is a good thing as long as it is sealed, and water cannot get around it into the foam core. Without that PVC tube, there is no other way for water to get out of that tunnel.
Here I presume you mean "sealed" as in the tube is sealed off from the foam core. If the tube itself were "sealed" it would no longer be a drain and would have no use.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Fri Nov 05, 2021 10:12 am

I believe the purpose of the rigging tunnel that is seen in Figure 4 (and also partially seen in Figure 3) and located on the Port side and forward, may have been to route wiring to the helm in the center console versions of the 22-foot hull. In a REVENGE model, the helm is located on Starboard, not in the center, so much of the wiring is routed through the Starboard rigging tunnel or routed under the gunwales.

In the OUTRAGE models the purpose of the rigging tunnel may have also been to drain water on the foredeck into the deep locker located on centerline. This locker is the lowest sump on the boat.

When the OUTRAGE 22-foot hull was adapted to become the REVENGE 22-foot hull, they just used the same molds. This was typical of Boston Whaler at that time. Later, Boston Whaler began to create liner molds that were more specific for a particular model, even if the hull mold was the same for several models. But in the 1980's Boston Whaler relied on clever adaptations to produce different models from the same molds.

An example of this is seen in the liner mold for the REVENGE. There is a section of the original liner that is cut out and removed. This creates a step down into the cabin. Reworking the liner after molding was probably less expensive than creating an entirely new liner mold just to make a REVENGE. I suspect there were many more OUTRAGE models sold than REVENGE models.

As for water entering the fuel tank cavity from the deck, the deck would need to be awash for a significant volume of water to enter the fuel tank cavity. In my experience with operating a REVENGE 22, the only time water comes onto the cockpit deck is if there is heavy rain falling and the deck is uncovered. The cabin superstructure, the windshield, and the side bulwarks prevent all water from spray from getting on the deck. About the only place on a notched transom REVENGE 22 for seawater to get on deck is from coming over the the wide transom. Generally the trim on the boat will be down-by-the-stern, so water coming over the transom is very unlikely to flow forward and enter the fuel tank cavity by these rigging tunnels near the bow.

Rain is freshwater, so its effect on the fuel tank is not as harmful as saltwater. I recall one night we were aboard and there was a very heavy rain. The rain water drained aft into the aft cockpit livewell, and actually filled it to the brim. It was upon that occasion that I decided to add a small sump pump in the aft cockpit livewell with a float switch to automatically activate it to expel any accumulation of water.

It is possible to be critical of the design of the REVENGE, but I don't find that water in the fuel tank cavity is a big problem. The foam is generally not susceptible to becoming totally saturated with water. In the very rare instance I have seen water sitting atop the foam, it has only been in a very small volume. By removing the circular deck plates the top of the fuel tank and its foam surround will be exposed to the air, and evaporation will remove any water in short order on a warm, sunny, breezy day.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Fri Nov 05, 2021 10:37 am

Re Figure 1: I see a lot of mold or mildew on the liner surface. Mildew is created by freshwater. Mildew can be insidious and spread. I recommend that the liner be thoroughly cleaned and mildew removed as much as possible.

Also re Figure I: I see there is a circular stain on the fuel tank in the area of the tank level gauge. This stain was probably created by water leaking through the clear, circular, pry-out deck access plate cover. The pry-out circular deck access plates employ a large rubber O-ring as the seal. I recommend you inspect all the deck circular pry-out access plates, and assess the integrity of the rubber O-ring. Also, you should assess the integrity of the circular deck access surround; it should be sealed to the deck with a sealant.

On my 1990 REVENGE 22, the general condition of the boat is excellent. However, I have replaced several circular deck pry-out access plates due to the removable section being cracked. For information on how to obtain replacement circular deck pry-out access plates, see:

Replacement Deck Pry-out Access Plates
https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2406

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:45 pm

jimh wrote:
It is possible to be critical of the design of the REVENGE, but I don't find that water in the fuel tank cavity is a big problem. The foam is generally not susceptible to becoming totally saturated with water. In the very rare instance I have seen water sitting atop the foam, it has only been in a very small volume. By removing the circular deck plates the top of the fuel tank and its foam surround will be exposed to the air, and evaporation will remove any water in short order on a warm, sunny, breezy day.


I believe you are correct that large volumes of water will not likely pass through the space along side the fuel vent lines OP mentioned in this post. I disagree that the foam around the fuel tank is not susceptible of becoming fully saturated.

My boat sat for years in a barn and the foam was completely saturated around and under the fuel tank. When I removed my fuel tank the foam was soaked similar to a sponge and there were several inches of water sitting in the cavity when the tank was removed.

By design the fuel tank cavity is the centerpiece of the underfloor drain system for any water that gets under the deck. Water is directed to the top of the fuel tank to pass through a brass tube into the starboard rigging tunnel and out the starboard drain sump. These boats (both the Outrage and Revenge models) are also designed with the option to leave the starboard drain sump unplugged during operation which floods the drain sump while not on plane. When the drain sump floods below the deck the entire starboard rigging tunnel floods as well; which in turn floods into the fuel tank cavity exposing the foam around the fuel tank to long periods of being submerged.

Also
During my rebuild I found a very poor design with the stern livewell cover. On my boat there was a 2" X 3" gap on both sides at the underside stern where the ply meets the hull. The factory put a tremendous gob of sealant there to try and compensate for the gap; but it still didn't seal so any water that splashed out of the livewell into the port rigging tunnel makes its way to the fuel tank.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Sun Nov 07, 2021 8:07 am

When discussing in the 2020's the state of an aluminum fuel tank that was made in the 1980's, one ought to give some consideration to the fact that the aluminum fuel tank is 30 to 40-years-old. That a 30 to 40-year-old aluminum fuel tank on a boat might have some corrosion should not be seen as a significant design flaw in the boat's construction. Also, there are plenty of 30 to 40-year old Boston Whaler boats with aluminum fuel tanks that are in very good condition, are still in service, and don't have any significant corrosion.

As in any element of a 30 to 40-year-old boat, its present condition will be greatly influenced by the previous 30 to 40-years of use of the boat and care of the boat.

What is a comparable 30 to 40-year-old outboard boat with a large open cockpit with an internal aluminum fuel tank that could be cited as a better designed boat or a boat with more durability in its construction and remains in perfect condition after 30 to 40-years of any sort of use?

I think Boston Whaler figured out that enclosing an aluminum fuel tank with a foamed-in-place surround might not have been the greatest idea they ever had, and I believe they ultimately stopped doing it. They have also switched to plastic fuel tanks in most cases now.

Yes, there certainly have been some Boston Whaler boats in the OUTRAGE or REVENGE series that were made in the 1980's that now in 2021 might need attention to the fuel tank. But back in the 1980's Boston Whaler used a lot of foamed-in construction. Because 40-years later there are some 40-year-old boats that need attention to their fuel tank should not be conflated into a crucial error in boat design. If every aluminum fuel tank that was foamed-in-place in a Boston Whaler boat failed after 10-years, then one could certainly say there was a big mistake in the design. That some aluminum fuel tanks foamed-in-place on a Boston Whaler fail after 30 to 40-years of use is an entirely different set of circumstances.

Finally, corrosion of an aluminum fuel tank could also be caused by the continual presence of water in the fuel tank--water that got there due to purchasing gasoline with a high-percentage of water in the gasoline--and to the use of ethanol-gasoline blended fuels which are very susceptible to having the water and ethanol condense out of solution with the gasoline and forming a very corrosive mixture. I don't think Boston Whaler hull designers could have been expected to have foreseen in 1980 the now c.2020 very-pervasive presence of ethanol-gasoline blended fuel in all highway gasoline and in some marina fuel dock gasoline, too.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:38 pm

rnln wrote:Q1: Why would I want water, if there is any, to go to the fuel tank chamber?
Your question assumes the passage between the fuel tank cavity and the rigging tunnel on Port forward is intended to drain water into the fuel tank cavity. The drain could easily be for the exact opposite purpose: to drain water out of the fuel tank cavity into the rigging tunnel, where it would tend to run out in the cabin and drain onto the deck floor of the cabin.

When you have a passage between two area that could contain water, the direction of the water flow would depend on which end of the passage had the water initially. If water rose in the fuel tank cavity to a height to reach the tube, then the tube would drain water out of the fuel tank cavity into the cabin forward cabin floor.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby rnln » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:52 am

JimH, Vance,

Thanks everyone for all info. I appreciate it.

On my 1987 REVENGE 22 there are (basically) three through-hull pipes being discussed in this thread.
  • the "mysterious one" you see in [Figure 1--please refer to image by their figure number], at the fuel-fill and cabin area, which I will call pipe-1.
  • another one at the end of the port side tunnel, to allow water to go to the live well, which I will call pipe-2
  • another one between the port side tunnel to the fuel tank cavity, toward the middle of the boat, which I will call pipe-3.


Q5: I should get a long hose to connect the through hull pipe-1 to pipe-3 so water from fuel-fill and cabin area can exit to starboard-side tunnel and to the bilge area instead of dumping into the gas tank area?

Vance
The molded part you added with the adapters to take the fuel and vent hoses is great. I was thinking if water gets in that area, it will flow to the fuel tank cavity. I was thinking of rigging something to seal that when I am done with myREVENGE 22, but "how to" was the question.

Q6: Do you have any idea to do the same as your current setup but both fuel and vent hoses are still running in the same tunnel?

Jimh,
The picture I took was when I first lifted up the floor board. All silicone and caulk around the floor board was broken, for sure water has been going into the gas tank cavity freely. If the previous owner is telling the truth, the boat has never seen saltwater. It was only in the lake and been sitting for many years before I touched it. So, it should be both lake and rain water. It is a lot cleaner now.

I looked at both circular deck plates before, and was wondering if it can be waterproof but too busy to check on them. Maybe I will move the whole floor board somewhere else and pour water on them to test. Thanks for bring it up.

Isn't ethanol something we can't stay away now?

Vance,
My boat is the same regarding the 2-inch to 3-inch gap on top of live well, on the starboard side. I think it is for running live bait pump wire.

I see that you are in NoCal. I wish you are in SoCal so I can come to learn how you did yours. I played a lot with cars but this is my first time on boat.

[Moved new topic to its own thread--Moderator.]

Thanks everyone.
Last edited by rnln on Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

rnln
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby rnln » Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:57 am

Another through hull tube I wonder if I need it is the brass tube between the live well and the transom well. The end of this tube on the transom well has a ball inside a housing. I think the ball is allowing water to go from live well to the transom well but not from transom well to live well.

Q9: why would I want water from live well goes to transom well?

Q10: If it is there for me to drain water from live well after I pulled the boat onto the trailer after a ride, then isn't 1 drain on the live well enough? I do see another drain tube on the live well goes directly through the bottom of the hull.

If a through hull is not really needed, I rather pull it out, fiberglass the hole for less chance or risk of water into foam. I already bought some tubes and flaring tools but it seem like there is no way for me to flare that odd angle tube in that narrow transom well

Thanks again.

This picture I found on one of Vance's posts, hope Vance don't mind I am using it here as an example. On this pic, the bottom drain hole on the right of the pic is what I am talking about. It is connecting the live well to the transom well. Does anyone know in which case I would need it?

Image
Fig. 5. View of another boat, not the boat under discussion in this thread. Note the drain hole in the right.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:51 pm

rnln wrote:On my 1987 REVENGE 22 there are (basically) three through-hull pipes in this topic.
  • the "mysterious one" you see in [Figure 1--please refer to image by their figure number], at the fuel-fill and cabin area, which I will call pipe-1.
  • another one at the end of the port side tunnel, to allow water to go to the live well, which I will call pipe-2
  • another one between the port side tunnel to the fuel tank cavity, toward the middle of the boat, which I will call pipe-3.

This doesn't make sense. Is it possible you meant the starboard rigging tunnel for Pipe 2 and 3?

The port side tunnel doesn't run the full length of the gas tank cavity on a 22 Revenge. The tube from the tank to drain in the middle of the boat is in the starboard side.

Please see Figure 6 below,; you will see the port tunnel empties into the fuel tank cavity in two sections.

Whaler Pic Livewell and tank exposed.jpg
Fig. 6. Liner mold with deck cover removed. The 1-inch diameter drain hole between the fuel tank cavity and the aft cockpit live well is an owner-added modification that permits the fuel tank cavity to be drained into the live well. This drain is normally kept plugged. The plug is removed when water has accumulated in the fuel tank cavity. Also note the fuel tank is not foam-in-place. This is another boat, not the boat under discussion in this thread.
Whaler Pic Livewell and tank exposed.jpg (62.31 KiB) Viewed 29939 times


rnln wrote:Q5: I should get a long hose to connect the through hull pipe-1 to pipe-3 so water from fuel-fill and cabin area can exit to starboard-side tunnel and to the bilge area instead of dumping into the gas tank area?


I don't think this is a good idea, pipe-3 in your description needs to be clear to let water escape from the tank area to the starboard side rigging tunnel.


rnln wrote:Vance--the molded part you added with the adapters to take the fuel and vent hoses is great. I was thinking if water gets in that area, it will flow to the fuel tank cavity. I was thinking of rigging something to seal that when I am done with my REVENGE 22, but "how to" was the question.

Q6: Do you have any idea to do the same as your current setup but both fuel and vent hoses are still running in the same tunnel?

There is no room to put both aluminum tubes on one side. That is why I separated them utilizing the forward port tunnel for the vent hose.


rnln wrote:My boat is the same regarding the 2-inch to 3-inch gap on top of live well, on the starboard side. I think it is for running live bait pump wire.
I don't think the gaps were intentional for wiring access. Wiring to the livewell could easily be ran next to the fuel line on the starboard side drain sump. I think it was an oversight and the factory believed they could gob up the area with sealant and it would be good. It's not good, it is a big gap and doesn't fill that easy. A flooded livewell will certainly slosh into the port rigging tunnel through that gap and lead to the fuel tank. I filled mine with Systems10 epoxy to make it a perfect molded fit but it was a major pain to do.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:25 pm

rnln wrote:Another through hull tube I wonder if I need it is the brass tube between the live well and the transom well. The end of this tube on the transom well has a ball inside a housing. I think the ball is allowing water to go from live well to the transom well but not from transom well to live well.

Q9: why would I want water from live well goes to transom well?

Q10: If it is there for me to drain water from live well after I pulled the boat onto the trailer after a ride, then isn't 1 drain on the live well enough? I do see another drain tube on the live well goes directly through the bottom of the hull.

If a through hull is not really needed, I rather pull it out, fiberglass the hole for less chance or risk of water into foam. I already bought some tubes and flaring tools but it seem like there is no way for me to flare that odd angle tube in that narrow transom well

Thanks again.

This picture I found on one of Vance's posts, hope Vance don't mind I am using it here as an example. On this pic, the bottom drain hole on the right of the pic is what I am talking about. It is connecting the live well to the transom well. Does anyone know in which case I would need it?

https://continuouswave.com/forum/downlo ... hp?id=6762


My Revenge was plumbed exactly as you describe with a ball scupper in the motor well in the stern. There was a ball scupper in the transom instead of a plug as well. Those ball scuppers are a nice design and I looked everywhere for replacements and couldn't find them. Mine were too dried out to work properly.

The brass tube between the livewell and motor well was corroded badly leaking into the foam core. I replaced it with a fiberglass tube so it would never corrode again. I have no clue how the factory flared the original brass tube down in the bottom of that motor well. I'm certain it has to be easier to epoxy in a fiberglass tube.

Here is a thread that explains how to replace the brass tubes with fiberglass:
https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewto ... ube#p35181

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Tue Nov 09, 2021 2:02 pm

VANCE:

Q11: in Figure 6 is that drain between the fuel tank cavity and the [aft cockpit live well] at the bottom of each something you added?

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Tue Nov 09, 2021 4:10 pm

jimh wrote:VANCE--in Figure 6 is that drain between the fuel tank cavity and the [aft cockpit live well] at the bottom of each something you added?
When I replaced the fuel tank I didn't foam-in-place the tank. That is why you see the extreme bracing along the top and on each end of the fuel tank.

Without the foam the tank cavity can and will fill with water up to the top of the tank where the drain hole drains into the starboard rigging tunnel with no way to drain the cavity.

To combat this I added the 1-inch-ID fiberglass drain tube at the bottom to plug off and inspect the tank cavity for water. It accepts a normal 1-inch rubber drain plug similar to what is normally used in the transom.

The wall between the fuel tank cavity and the rear live well is not very thick so it is a very easy addition.

Vance

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:40 am

In my opinion, Vance's modification is useful. I presume that the lowest point in the fuel tank cavity must be slighter higher than the lowest point in the aft cockpit live well, and that facilitates the water draining out of the fuel tank cavity and into the live well.

Q12: Once the water gets into the live well, how do you remove it?

Q13: On your modified REVENGE 22, I think I see a drain in Figure 5 that drains the aft cockpit live well into the deep engine splash well. Did you add that drain, too?

Q14: Have you added a pump to remove the water from the aft cockpit live well?

On my REVENGE 22 I have added a centrifugal pump to lift water out of the aft end aft cockpit live well and then exhaust it overboard. Because my boat has a Whaler Drive, the exhaust hose from the pump is routed to the aft cockpit scuppers (which are 3-inch diameter open scuppers through the transom). The added buoyancy of the Whaler Drive keeps the scuppers above the water line. These same scuppers will also drain water on the cockpit deck to the sea.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Wed Nov 10, 2021 12:09 pm

jimh wrote:In my opinion, your modification is useful. I presume that the lowest point in the fuel tank cavity must be slighter higher than the lowest point in the aft cockpit live well, and that facilitates the water draining out of the fuel tank cavity and into the live well.
Due to the modifications I made to the hull liner and deck to prevent water from getting into the fuel tank cavity. So far I have not had much water, if any water come out of the fuel tank cavity yet. Maybe a cup or so once or twice when inspected and I think that is getting past the deck plate seals when blasting/washing the deck.

jimh wrote:Q12: Once the water gets into the live well, how do you remove it?
I trailer my boat and take it out every day I fish so I pull the two drain plugs in the live well and rinse any water out with clean water. There is always a little water that sits below plug level that I wipe out with a towel or sponge. Or I let it sit and it evaporates over time.

jimh wrote:Q13: On your modified REVENGE 22, I think I see a drain in Figure 5 that drains the aft cockpit live well into the deep engine splash well. Did you add that drain, too?
My 1980 Revenge already had a brass tube there from the factory with a ball scupper on the stern end in the deep engine splash well. I replaced the corroded brass tube with a 1" ID fiberglass tube. I couldn't find a replacement ball scupper that would fit so I use a rubber plug in the live well to control how much water (if any) I want in there. I'm not real sure why the original design had a ball scupper.

jimh wrote:Q14: Have you added a pump to remove the water from the aft cockpit live well?
In my situation, I have not seen the need to add a pump to the aft live well. I made a water proof door (Picture below) to the top to prevent unwanted deck water to enter so a pump is not necessary. This door is made out of 3/16" aluminum so it sits pretty flush with the floor and is not a trip hazard. I have drained the live well of unwanted water while the boat was on plane though.

jimh wrote:On my REVENGE 22 I have added a centrifugal pump to lift water out of the aft end aft cockpit live well and then exhaust it overboard.
It sounds like you did a nice job with the pump and must work very nice. Especially handy when the boat is at rest or off plane on the water.

REPLACING AFT COCKPIT STARBOARD SUMP COVER
Also, I ran the rigging and wiring [under] the boat gunwales so I didn't have to utilize the starboard rigging tunnel. This meant I [modify the deck and replace the original wooden hatch with a circular] deck plate. With the deck sealed, no water can get to the aft starboard cockpit sump and enter the live well through the fuel line access to the live well unless I pull a plug to fill it. This is shown below in Figure 7.

Image
Fig. 7. The OEM hatch over the aft cockpit starboard sump is now replaced with a sealed circular deck plate. This is a different boat, not the boat under discussion.

REROUTE FUEL LINE
Another change to prevent unwanted water from accessing the aft starboard cockpit sump and live well: the fuel line no longer travels the original route and comes out on top of the deck at the drain sump. I sealed a 3/8-inch stainless steel nipple through the top left rear bulkhead of the factory live well into the rear deep engine splash well and attached my fuel line to it. See Figure 8.

Image
Fig. 8. New fuel line path to transom engine lower splash well through the aft bulkhead.

ASIDE ON ANGLING ON THE WEST COAST
Here out west we use Anchovies for live bait. The factory live well works better as an under floor ice chest/fish box than a live well. I installed and plumbed a 17 gallon circular live bait tank (circular necessary for Anchovies) on the deck which drains straight down through a 4" deck plate (deck plate pictured with the top on it below) on the deck/floor and the bottom of the bow side of the live well to the sea. The tube for the bait tank drain exits the bottom of the boat as 1 1/2" fiberglass tube and I added a clam shell similar to all the other drain tubes on the boat. Works very nice and drains appropriately.

Vance

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Stayinstrewn » Fri Nov 12, 2021 6:17 pm

I put a drain in the fuel tank cavity on my 1979 V-22.

I leave the drain open all the time. I keep a drain plug ready if I need to [plug the new drain installed in the fuel tank cavity].

I don’t use [the aft cockpit livewell] as a livewell so [keeping the new fuel tank cavity drain open all the time] works out well.
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Fri Nov 12, 2021 11:00 pm

Stayinstrewn wrote:I put a drain in the fuel tank cavity on my 1979 V-22
Q15: Where is the drain located that you installed in the fuel tank cavity?

I am guessing it is at the aft end of the tank at its deepest point, but you need to explain where you put the drain you made.

Q16: What does the new drain empty into?

I am guessing it drains into the aft cockpit center live well, but you need to explain where the drain you made flows into.

Without explicitly describing where the drain is located and how water is expected to flow out of the drain, readers won't be clear on what you have done.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby steelhead55 » Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:50 pm

I installed a tank cavity drain tube from the tank cavity to the rear livewell. I glassed in a one inch fiberglassed drain tube with epoxy resin. You can see the pic here

https://garys22revenge.shutterfly.com/pictures/132#127

I highly recommend this as it allows for quick and easy removal of water from the tank cavity. If you scroll the pics on my shutterfly page you can see all the steps I used when refurbishing my existing plastic below deck tank and associated cavity. There are multiple ways for water to enter this tank cavity, and no ways for water to be removed.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Wed Nov 24, 2021 5:13 pm

STEELHEAD--thanks for the clear and concise description of your drain system.

On the linked photo-hosting website I see in your montage of images that you removed ALL the foam surrounding the fuel tank. That certainly facilitates fast drainage of any water that gets into the bottom of the fuel tank cavity.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:25 am

Steelhead 55--you did a nice job restoring your original plastic fuel tank. I wish my boat had a plastic tank instead of aluminum.

Q17: How did you pour the foam and prevent it from getting under the fuel tank?

I thought about doing something similar on my Revenge 22 but couldn't think of a way to do it. I considered that If the foam gets under the tank when poured, it will expand under the tank and block water that gains access through the fuel fill hose and vent hose tunnel (forward side) from traveling under the tank to the drain tube installed at the stern side,

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby steelhead55 » Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:02 pm

VANCE-- before I poured the foam on each side of the plastic tank, I placed two 1-inch PVC pipes running the length of the tank on both the port and starboard side of the tank. These PVC pipes facilitate moving water from the bow gap in the tank cavity to the stern gap in the tank cavity. I then used some pieces of high density foam to create a barrier [a dam in the fuel tank cavity] to prevent the expanding foam from flowing into stern and bow areas of the tank cavity. If you pour a smaller amount first, it flows slightly below the tank, but prevents more foam from flowing below the tank.

I did wedge a few high density foam pieces--not sure of the product name--at the aft and forward edges between the tank and the tank wall to help prevent movement, but I doubt it was necessary as the expanding foam adheres onto the tank very well.

Bottom line: I have areas where water can collect in a gap at the forward and aft areas of the tank, and PVC pipes that allow water to move under the poured-in foam between these areas. This allows water to move from the bow gap, to the stern gap, to the 1-inch fiberglass tube connecting the tank cavity to the live well cavity.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:56 am

steelhead55 wrote:...before I poured the foam on each side of the plastic [fuel] tank, I...used some pieces of high density foam to create a barrier [a dam in the fuel tank cavity] to prevent the expanding foam from flowing into stern and bow areas of the tank cavity.

Your idea of creating a dam to block the new foam from reaching into the forward and aft parts of the fuel tank cavity is a very good solution for the water drainage system you are using.

Q18: what restrains the fuel tank from fore and aft movement if there is no foam surrounds at those ends of the fuel tank?

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby steelhead55 » Tue Dec 07, 2021 4:07 pm

jimh wrote:Q18: what restrains the fuel tank from fore and aft movement if there is no foam surrounds at those ends of the fuel tank?
Quite honestly, I believe the adhesion of the expanding foam on each side of the tank is sufficient to prevent the tank from moving. I had some experience using the expanding foam product building a hovercraft in college. However just to provide myself with some more assurance, I did wedge some high density foam product (sold in 16" x 16" x1" blocks) between the tank and both ends of the tank cavity. This leaves plenty of space for water to collect, but provides some mechanical resistance to bow to stern movement. Over the last few years I have hit a few large Pacific Ocean waves that took the boat to extreme angles, and the tank has shown no movement to date.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Stayinstrewn » Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:25 am

jimh wrote:Q15: Where is the drain located that you installed in the fuel tank cavity?
The drain is located on the aft bulkhead between the fuel tank and [the aft cockpit livewell].

The previous owner had dug out some foam at the back of the tank which makes it easy for water to collect and drain out. The drain is about 1/2-inch up from the lowest point.
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:16 pm

This topic about hull drains on the Revenge 22 which are also the same on the Outrage 22 during the same production years has some very good information for people replacing their fuel tanks. This topic explains how it is incredibly important to add a drain tube and rubber inspection plug between the fuel tank cavity and stern live well if the foam is not being replaced with the new fuel tank. Otherwise, there is no way for water that is directed to the area to escape.

In this thread there are several pictures of my 1980 Revenge 22 showing some of my design changes to combat the original design by preventing any water from gaining access below deck all together. Although my changes were successful, it was a lot of work and expense. Furthermore, because the rigging has to utilize the starboard rigging tunnel my design changes are not possible to use on a Outrage 22 with the center console.

I have given quite a lot thought as to how I would do it if I were to take on this project again on another Classic 22 hull in either a Revenge or Outrage model.

Here is a simple solution to the deck to tank area drain and corrosion problem, and no need for the drain tube mentioned above:

Process start to finish.
  1. remove original fuel tank
  2. remove the original brass tube between the starboard rigging tunnel and tank cavity and replace it with a fiberglass tube utilizing white Marine-Tex epoxy for strength and a waterproof seal
  3. repeat step 2 replacing the brass tube from the fuel tank cavity to the stern bait tank that the fuel line travels through
  4. clean the cavity and install the new fuel tank utilizing the original factory aluminum hold down straps
  5. foam-in the tank level to the top of the tank on all sides
  6. after the foam is finished expanding and curing remove the aluminum hold down straps
  7. trim the foam level with the top of the tank which is also level with the drain tube to the starboard rigging tunnel
  8. attach the electrical wires to the fuel gauge sending unit and add several layers of masking tape over the wires and sending unit leaving a parameter of at least an inch of masking tape larger than the sending unit
  9. laminate the entire area over the tank and foam to all sides of the cavity with a two thin layers of fiberglass mat and polyester resin laminating resin
  10. increase the laminate two inches and add around the outside of aluminum fill and vent tubes as well to prevent water from gaining access there. Do the same where the fuel line pickup tube is at the stern of the tank
  11. after the fiberglass is cured, re-install the original aluminum hold down straps utilizing rubber strips between the aluminum and fiberglass over the tank
  12. before installing the fuel filler hose, vent hose, and fuel supply hoses to the motors, add a seal coat of gray Marine-tex epoxy around the tubes tubes where the aluminum meets the fiberglass. The Marine-Tex will stick to both the aluminum and fiberglass preventing water from entering. After the epoxy is cured install the all of the hoses
This fiberglass barrier will not stick well to the aluminum fuel tank but will prevent water from accessing the tank and foam. It will be easy to cut remove if the tank ever needs to be replaced.

The masking tape over the fuel gauge sending unit will act as a barrier keeping it clean and the fiberglass can easily be cut out over the tape and the unit replaced later if necessary.

The method above is all in theory because I have not done it--but I'm confident it will allow the fuel tank cavity to be flooded as designed but protect the fuel tank from corrosion.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:16 pm

The text below appeared in picture of a Boston Whaler owner's manual found on-line. It explains the drains on 20' and 22' hulls.

[Moderator's note: the text below differs from the text in the original printed manual I have. Please see my comment below-jimh]

    20 Outboard Models

    There are five drain tubes on all 20’ models. The three drains on the transom drain the engine splashwell and should be open at all times. The starboard aft floor sump drain, under the teak cover, drains the cockpit. With the plug out, some water will accumulate in the sump and tunnel area which will quickly drain dry once under way. If the optional bilge pump (standard on Revenge Models) is installed and left automatic. This drain must be kept closed to prevent constant running of the pump.

    22 Outboard Models

    All 22 Outboard models have 8 drain tubes. A single transom splashwell drain has a ball check valve on the outside of the transom. The check valve helps reduce the inflow of water when backing down. The transom splashwell drain should be open at all times.

    The fishwell has two drains. The drain between the fishwell and splashwell has a check valve. It is intended to be left open to automatically drain the well of rain and washdown water when underway. This drain must be closed when keeping fish to avoid fouling the check valve. The second, through bottom drain, empties the well of fish foul water once underway.

    The cockpit floor drains directly thru hull via the starboard aft floor sump. The fuel tank area drains to this sump.

    The cockpit floor drain should be left open unless the optional bilge pump (standard on Revenge and Cuddy models) is installed. With the drain open, water will accumulate in the sump and tunnel, the level depending on power option and weight. Water from wash down or rain will stay below floor level because of hull buoyancy. With the bilge pump installed and left on automatic the sump drain must be closed to prevent constant running of the pump.

    Each bow locker has a drain. On Outrage models the forward anchor locker should be left open. The bow fishwell drain should be left closed as it is guttered to prevent entrance of rain water. Rope locker drains can be left open.

    On Revenge and Cuddy models all bow locker drains should be closed.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:37 am

The 1980's-era owner's manuals are reproduced in their entirety in the REFERENCE section and have been available there since 2005, when I created them as an HTML document and published them on-line.

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/manual9-17/

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... nual18-25/

The HTML versions of the original owner's manuals that I created include all the photographs and drawings from the original publications. They have been on-line now for 16-years. They are taken from actual printed copies of the manuals that I have.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:07 pm

Jim--thank you for posting the links to the original owners manual. I had never seen the manual before and only understood how the 22 Outrage and Revenge models drain from removing all the deck covers while restoring my Revenge 22.

One topic I noticed in the owners' manual that is incredibly relevant to the topic of this thread on hull drains and fuel tank corrosion is the factory originally recommended the floor drain sump to remain open. I knew this was an option but I did not realize it was recommended by the factory and will explain why some aluminum fuel tanks corrode faster than others. The reason I say this is if the boat owner follows the factory recommendations and leaves his floor drain sump open the drain sump and entire rigging tunnel will flood with water at all times when the boat is not on plane.

Now take that process of of the rigging tunnel flooding with water one step further:

When the rigging tunnel fills with water, the water will also run through the brass tube between the tunnel and fuel tank flooding the fuel tank area as well. What this means is the fuel tank area will be exposed to water the entire time the boat is off plane. Take that thought one step further and think of these boats being operated in saltwater which means the fuel tank and foam around the tank is exposed to saltwater the entire the boat is in the water and not on plane.

Here are quotes from the Boston Whaler owners manual for 22 -oot outboards which explains what I said above:

The cockpit floor drain should be left open unless the optional bilge pump (standard on Revenge and Cuddy models) is installed. With the drain open, water will accumulate in the sump and tunnel, the level depending on power options and weight. Water from wash down or rain will stay below the floor level because of hull buoyancy.

The cockpit floor drains directly thru hull via the starboard aft floor sump. The fuel tank area drains to this sump.


I changed the design of my under-floor drain system and blocked off the starboard rigging tunnel so water cannot enter it. Had I not made that change I would immediately add a bilge pump similar to the factory option and would not open my floor drain sump when the boat is not on plane.

Also,
Anybody that has replaced their fuel tank without adding foam back similar to the factory install has created what could be a big problem; if the drain tube between the fuel tank and rigging tunnel was not removed and sealed your fuel tank area will most likely be full of water submersing your tank up to the level of the drain tube at the top of the fuel tank. Even if you don't run the floor drain sump open water can still get to the tank area by entering along the fuel fill and vent hoses.
This is why I added a drain tube (shown in figure 6 above) between the fuel tank area and the stern fish well.

The only way I can think of to utilize the original drain system designed by Boston Whaler and prevent water from accessing the foam and fuel tank (which can cause the aluminum fuel tank to corrode) is to install a thin non-structural fiberglass barrier across the top of the tank as I described above in an earlier post.

It would be very interesting to hear of other thought's/idea's as well.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:17 am

On my REVENGE 22 W-T Whaler Drive the aft cockpit starboard sump drain is always kept plugged. An electric pump evacuates water that enters the rigging tunnel and collects in the sump. My boat has a full-width stern seat at the aft end of the cockpit that fits against the bulkhead of the stern deck--this bulkhead occurs only on models with a Whaler Drive. As a result, access to the cockpit sump to reach into the sump and remove the drain plug is awkward. You have to lay on the deck, and with your left hand reach blindly into the sump and feel for the drain plug. Getting a good grip on the drain plug T-handle (used to tighten the plug in place) is very difficult as your wrist is bent at a 90-degree angle, so I leave the plug somewhat loose. I think the looser fit allows some seawater to enter via the drain, and after the hull has been in the water for several hours, a small amount of water will have accumulated in the sump. This is easily pumped out with the electric pump. Also, if the boat is on the trailer (and covered with a cockpit cover) and there is very heavy rain for several days, some rain water will collect in the sump--how it gets there is a mystery to me; I assume the canvas has some permeability after a very heavy rainfall.

The level of water in the sump never rises enough to begin to flood forward in the rigging tunnel and enter the fuel tank cavity. The fuel tank cavity generally is completely dry at all times, the only exception being if there is very heavy rain for days. I don't know the exact path, but I have seen a very small amount of water sitting atop the foam surrounding the fuel tank. That water evaporates away quickly once the sunshine returns and the circular deck access plates are removed to allow for ventilation.

The solution to the rain when the boat is on the trailer would be, of course, to remove the plug from the sump. This would be a simple task on a boat without the stern seat. But with the stern seat, the access to the sump is so awkward that I seldom remove the plug. Were the stern seat not there, I would be more diligent in removing the plug when the boat was on the trailer and on land. That would remove all chance for water to accumulate in the sump.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Sat Mar 05, 2022 3:47 pm

Jim:

Your description of how “awkward” it is to access the drain plug in your drain sump due to the stern seat adds to the value of this topic relating to the classic 22’ Revenge and because they share the same hull liner the Outrage 22 models.

Anyone looking to purchase or restore a Classic Boston Whaler 22 can benefit tremendously by what has been described in this thread.

Your boat is now going on 32 years old and from what I understand has the original fuel tank. I believe it is safe to say that your boat is quite rare to have the original fuel tank in such good condition.

I have read posts where 22- and 25-foot classic Boston Whaler boats are often on their second and in some cases third fuel tanks in this timeframe. Although, I must believe the boats on their third fuel tanks must primarily be used in saltwater conditions.

Obviously, you and the previous owners have provided your boat with the best maintenance. But maintenance can only go so far when the original design of the hull drains intentionally directs water to the fuel tank and creating few options to prevent corrosion to the outside of the tank.

Because the fuel tank replacement is so expensive maybe we should look at the options your boat has which may in fact extend the life of the fuel tanks.

Here are my thoughts:

Stern Seat

As you mentioned the stern seat creates poor access to the drain sump which may have helped in the equation in the fact that the drain sump is/was less likely to be run open (as originally recommended in the owner’s manual) which allows sea water to flood the rigging tunnel and access the fuel tank.
The original designers obviously saw the need to add the option of a bilge pump into the drain sump to offset the access problem. The added pump will also prevent water from gaining access to the fuel tank through the starboard side rigging tunnel as well.

Adding a bilge pump in the drain sump whether or not there is a stern seat my be a great way to go. The only disadvantage I can see without the stern seat there is another hose coming out of the sump cover and could possibly be in the way at times.

Whaler Drive

I believe the Whaler Drive option helps in two ways:

--the full height transom which prevents water from accessing the deck over the stern is a tremendous value, especially when utilizing the motors in reverse to position the stern into heavy seas for fishing or other situations.

--the added length and buoyancy created by the Whaler Drive floats the stern higher which in turn lowers the level of water in the drain sump and rigging tunnel if the drain plug were to be removed making it less likely for sea water to access the fuel tank.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby rnln » Wed Mar 23, 2022 6:01 pm

After talking to Vance, I decided to leave the brass tubes and ordered some fiberglass tubes and Marine-Tex. The smallest tube I ordered is 1-inch and 1.25-inch for the transom. In carefully looking at all the tubes and holes, I found there are small holes for the ground wire to pass through several walls, currently filled with some kind of caulking. These conductor are are very easy to pull out.

I plan to drill slightly larger holes and to use 1/2-inch Schedule-40 PVC pipe (from HomeDepot) and to use Marine-Tex to adhere and seal ithe PVC. This way, it is easier to apply a sealant to the ground conductor inside the PVC pipe. If the sealant goes bad in the future, it only allows water to pass through it, but does not allow water to get to the foam.

Will if Marine-Tex will bind to PVC?

Will a PVC pipe last?

I plan on doing the same to the holes for fuel hoses between the fuel tank compartment and the live well. I planed on using 2-inch by 1-inch fiberglass pipes (one pipe for each hose), but they are taking up too much space. The hose's plastic covers won't be able to go in.

Why do I need to passthough the wall with the big hoses?

Can I pass through with the tiny copper pipes like they run between the live well to the drain sum?

his way, I can use 2-inch by 1/2-inch PVC pipes, which is half the size.

For the small copper pipe, I think Home Depot has soft little pipe, which is easily bend to shape.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Phil T » Wed Mar 23, 2022 8:07 pm

I would not use PVC. Not many things adhere to it.

There have been a dozen owners who done thin wall PVC. Mixed results.

Going with brass drains is much more straight forward. Why make things harder?
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Thu Mar 24, 2022 1:11 am

rnln wrote:...I plan ...use 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC pipe (the white PVC pipe from HomeDepot) and use Marine-Tex to bind/seal it
Stay completely away from PVC. Sealants and epoxy don't stick well to PVC, water may be able to gain access to the hull foam core. Also, PVC gets old and brittle over time.

Fiberglass tubes are the best way to go because they are extremely easy to install--no flaring--and epoxy sticks and seals to them well.

Where the factory ran the fuel tank ground wire through to the engine well was cracked badly from the factory screw fasteners on the clamshell. I ground out the cracks, and filled and repaired the area with Marine-Tex.

I replaced the original ground wire with new wire, and I ran the new wire from the fuel tank, around the fill tube to the port gunwale. (You can see the green wire in Figure 2 and Figure 3 near the top of this thread.)

From there I ran the ground wire under the port gunwale to the stern and down to the grounding anode disc. My modification produces a much better route than the factory hole drilled between the port side rigging tunnel and the deep engine splash well.

Copper tubing will corrode as fast if not faster than brass. If you stay with fiberglass tubes there is nothing to corrode and go bad.
Last edited by Vance's Revenge on Sat Mar 26, 2022 12:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby rnln » Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:21 am

Phil T wrote:I would not use PVC.
No PVC pipe then.

Should remove all the through-wall PVC already there?

Those tubes are white and they looks like 1/2-inch" PVC. There are at least two. I do not know what Boston Whaler uses to bind it to the wall. I can see gel coat on that stuff. Refer to Figure 1, repeated below:

Image

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby rnln » Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:33 am

I thought I was almost done with fiberglass work. I ordered fiberglass tubes and Marine-tex. I plan to do more work soon.

I ordered 1.0-inch and 1.25-inch tubes. The tube I asked about in my prior post is around 0.5-inch, and for that tube I planned to use 0.5-inch PVC. But now PVC is out of the picture

I may order 0.5-inch fiberglass tubes. I may just pump a bunch of 3M4200 [instead] to get the work done--unless someone tells me 3M4200 won't seal completely.

Figure 10 below illustrates how the fuel hoses are run on my boat.

fig10.jpg
Fig. 10. Sketch of existing fuel hose routing. The red lines represent copper tubing fuel lines; the brown lines represent rubber fuel hoses.
fig10.jpg (5.88 KiB) Viewed 19963 times



I planned to put two 1.00-inch fiberglass tubes side-by-side there with Marine-Tex. Each [rubber fuel] hose goes through each tube. The plastic cover won't fit because two fiberglass tubes take too much space; Therefore, I plan on having one fiberglass tube there and plan to extend the two brass tubes to go through it.

Is there a problem I have missed?

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Thu Mar 24, 2022 8:55 am

On an insulated wire conductor I would not use any sort of sealant that leaches acetic acid as it cures. The only sealant to use with electrical wiring is an RTV-II sealant that DOES NOT leach acetic acid when curing.

Marine-Tex is an odd epoxy. The mixing ratio of resin and hardener is done in very strange proportion. It also contains fillers. It is a hardware-store adhesive filler shortcut.

For real advice on using Epoxy with PVC, read this article:

https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/bo ... ith-epoxy/

Or, use WEST System G-flex epoxy.

With regard to bonding wires that connect metal components of the fuel system to the boat's submerged anode disc: the shorter the wiring path the better.

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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby Vance's Revenge » Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:10 am

jimh wrote: Marine-Tex is an odd epoxy. The mixing ratio of resin and hardener is done in very strange proportion. It also contains fillers. It is a hardware-store adhesive filler shortcut.

I used quarts of Marine-Tex and gallons West Systems epoxy during the restoration of my 1980 Revenge 22. Both are premium brands; Marine Tex has a long history of satisfaction. Marine-Tex does have fillers because fillers are needed in certain circumstances such as replacing brass tubes with Fiberglass tubes. It does have a weird mix ratio but that is a simple fix with cheap plastic kitchen style measuring spoons.

Make threads in fiberglass tubes with Marine-Tex:
Marine-Tex is so easy to work with I used it to make threads inside my fiberglass tubes which allowed me to screw in fittings. An good example of this in on the 2" I.D. drain tube coupling I installed to drain my 17 gallon on deck live bait tank. (pictured below before and after). (Also shown complete with the fitting installed in my raw seawater supply tube bottom right in figure 5 above).

Threading the tubes are a very simple process. Coat the threads of the fittings with either wax or Vasoline so the Marine-Tex won't stick to the fitting; sand and clean the inside of the fiberglass tube. Coat the area inside the tube with Marine-Tex and a coat around the threads on the fitting and insert the fitting inside the tube. The next day unscrew the fitting and clean up the area. The threads are not perfect but very sufficient.

Whaler pic bait tank drain tube rough-threads exposed.jpg
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Whaler pic bait tank drain tube rough-threads exposed.jpg (45 KiB) Viewed 19928 times


whaler pic live Bait Tank drain finished painted .jpg
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whaler pic live Bait Tank drain finished painted .jpg (26.07 KiB) Viewed 19928 times


The benefits and ease of using Marine Tex far out way the odd mixing ratio. For reference the reinforcement ring at the base of my 2" I.D fiberglass drain tube for my on deck bait tank I molded out of Marine-Tex with ease using water and a tongue depressor (pictured above) . Another example is (in figure 2 above near the beginning of this thread) forming a strong lip and exact match between the side wall and bottom of my fuel/vent manifold. It is easy to mold like this by using Vaseline where you don't want it to stick and form it with water and your finger similar to modeling clay greatly reducing the need of sanding. It is rock solid and these applications could not have been done as easily with other epoxy's.

During my build I also used some Splash Zone epoxy as a filler forming/strengthening the bottom of my fuel tank cavity to completely match the bottom of my new tank. I chose Splash Zone because it far less expensinve than Marine-Tex or West Systems with filler added, but found that it was much harder to work with than Marine-Tex.

West Systems Six10 epoxy is another option that I found to be a terrific product as well. It is a thickened epoxy shot from a tube in a calking gun that mixes as it is extruded out the tip of the tube. This stuff is wonderful, it has strength and can easily be faired. I used this to fair in the seams of the my rear bulkhead (seen in figures 7 and 8 above). Being that it mixes at the tip it doesn't build up heat and set up as fast as mixing West Systems in a cup with filler; and is much easier to use. Six10 would be easy to use when installing fiberglass tubes as well. The only downside is it is extremely expensive and the mixing tips are replaceable but not reusable.

Looking back this appears to be an ad for Marine-Tex. It is not, I grew to love the stuff during the years I spent on my restoration.
Last edited by Vance's Revenge on Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:56 pm, edited 17 times in total.

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 Hull Drains

Postby jimh » Thu Mar 24, 2022 7:25 pm

Boat builders use WEST System epoxy or other marine epoxy brands to make million dollar boats. They don’t use Marine-Tex. Marine-Tex may be handy for little repairs or moderate strength bonding.