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Post by neville on Mar 20, 2018 13:44:26 GMT
Does anyone know how to remove the inspection hatches on my SO379 water tanks they seem to be very tight and I don't want to damage them. Thanks Neville
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Post by JEF on Mar 20, 2018 14:41:45 GMT
We sail 2012 SO379 .... never had to take off the tank inspection ports .... to do so you will need a special tool to get even pressure over each finger ... Suggest you take a pattern and make one up from suitable ply so you can get a good even leverage to be able to twist it off without damage.
Hope this helps |
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Post by jdl01 on Mar 20, 2018 15:50:55 GMT
I have had a home made wooden paddle and a cross break in an effort to open the watertank inspection port - never did get it open. The local dealer had no suggestions. Good luck - if you succeed let us know your solution.
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Post by jlasail on Mar 20, 2018 16:15:36 GMT
If you are in the USA, you can find the proper tool at Westmarine. It is kind of articulated 3 branches tool. I open the tanks on my boat several times with it, it works fine. I will look for a pic and post it if I can find it. I don’t remember the price, but it is less than $25.
Jl
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Post by sleighride on Mar 21, 2018 3:51:17 GMT
I use a standard masonry tool (wide heavy-duty chisel) with a large crescent wrench to turn it from the top and it has worked well for me for the last 15 years. I have posted the pictures of the tool previously, but do not know how to access it again. I am 200 miles from my boat at present. Perhaps Malcom could help locate the prior posts on this issue?
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Post by so36idavid on Mar 21, 2018 6:19:45 GMT
I use a standard masonry tool (wide heavy-duty chisel) with a large crescent wrench to turn it from the top and it has worked well for me for the last 15 years. I have posted the pictures of the tool previously, but do not know how to access it again. I am 200 miles from my boat at present. Perhaps Malcom could help locate the prior posts on this issue? Google is your friend. jeanneau.proboards.com/thread/4114/wrench-open-holding-tank-lid |
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Post by MickeyB on Mar 21, 2018 9:44:32 GMT
And my Mum is my friend - boiling water poured on an left for 3 mins....  For full story click this link. |
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Post by alenka on Mar 21, 2018 12:11:34 GMT
Try as we might we could not open our fuel tank - same design.
Warm water had no effect. Equalising the pressure had no effect. And the blades were clearly going to break if pressure was applied to just one or two vanes.
We bough some of those plastic beads that melt in hot water (eBay) and pressed the semi-molten plastic into the gaps between each vane. Once they started to cool we pulled them out and popped them into the fridge to harden before screwing them to a piece of wood with a short handle. With steady, even pressure the top opened without damage.
If you can get a tool from Westmarine then I would suggest you go down this road otherwise back to the beads.
I think they are marketed as instamorph.
Go for the lowest melt temperature you can get. If you use those that need near boiling water your hands suffer!
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Post by alenka on Mar 22, 2018 8:18:50 GMT
If you are in the USA, you can find the proper tool at Westmarine. It is kind of articulated 3 branches tool. I open the tanks on my boat several times with it, it works fine. I will look for a pic and post it if I can find it. I don’t remember the price, but it is less than $25. Jl You don't happen to know the correct description for this device do you? I cannot find it on their website. Thanks. |
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Post by optimystic on Mar 28, 2018 23:59:56 GMT
Not to appear too naive but why open the water tank port? My 2012 379 has never been opened and the water in both tanks appears just fine. I do make a conscious effort to run them as dry as the pump allows prior to filling. What am I missing?
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Post by jlasail on Mar 29, 2018 2:29:15 GMT
Hello Alenka
While replying to your quote I did look at Westmarine parts but I could not find it either. When I get to my boat around April 8 I will take a picture of it and post it here. I do remember explaining to the Westmarine employee what I needed and he pointed me to that tool that they had in stock at that time in an Annapolis store.
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Post by MickeyB on Mar 29, 2018 7:14:37 GMT
Hi Optimystic,
My boat is an older one than yours, was previously a charter boat and I have owned it for 4 or 5 years now I think. Since I am in the process of adding a watermaker, I do not know what previous owners have done to the tanks, put in the tanks, left standing in the tanks etc.
For me, I am very glad to have opened them up - as I found crud and other stuff in there. I would not liked to have drunk that stuff...but now, new pipes, flushed through etc, I am confident that I will not kill my wife (yet).
Mike
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Post by alenka on Mar 29, 2018 7:17:37 GMT
Not to appear too naive but why open the water tank port? My 2012 379 has never been opened and the water in both tanks appears just fine. I do make a conscious effort to run them as dry as the pump allows prior to filling. What am I missing? I too have never looked inside my water tanks. But I did have to get inside the fuel tank to fix a leak on the inlet pipe. The design is the same so it is a handy tool to have around. Just for the record we never drink our potable water out of the tank so we don't have to worry too much about bugs, but I we did drink it then I would definitely make a regular inspection. The last time I flushed the system through with a tank cleaner I forgot to mention it to my wife who decided to wash her hair (whilst I was ashore) and didn't realise the stuff was still in the tank. I can tell you without any hesitation it did not go well; And of course it was all my fault. |
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Post by jlasail on Apr 15, 2018 20:13:32 GMT
If you are in the USA, you can find the proper tool at Westmarine. It is kind of articulated 3 branches tool. I open the tanks on my boat several times with it, it works fine. I will look for a pic and post it if I can find it. I don’t remember the price, but it is less than $25. Jl You don't happen to know the correct description for this device do you? I cannot find it on their website. Thanks. Hello Alenka, I finally got the brand and ref for the tool I bought at Westmarine (GROCO SW2531), so here it is: www.westmarine.com/buy/groco--spanner-wrench--4493367Good luck with it, I believe Amazon and other vendors can provide it to you too. It is probably not design fo this exact purpose, but I does work fine for me. JL |
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Post by jdl01 on Apr 16, 2018 19:07:13 GMT
Opti' questions needing to get into your fresh water tanks. The potable water pump will not completely drain the system when run to dry. If you are dry storing your boat in a climate that can have below freezing temperatures for a week or more, you want that residual water out of the tanks. A small wet-vac inserted into the inspection port does a good job of draining your tank.
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