Removing a Centaur Water Tank

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The Centaur water tank is built in situ under the forward cabin V-berth and is not normally accessible. The tank is stainless steel and is supported between the aft bulkhead of the chain locker and the bulkhead behind the V berth aft vertical face. It is not unusual for the water tank to develop pinhole leaks along the welds and possibly even a crack along the lower edge welds. This will become apparent as fresh water seepage (taste test) under the centre of the floor near the main cabin cold box. The water will appear to come from the forward direction and can be surprisingly copious.

To deal with this there ar two basic options:

(1) Stop using the water tank and fit say a flexible tank into one of the side lockers.

(2) Cut through the fibre glass top of the V berth to expose the water tank and remove it for repair or replacement.

Option(1) is obvious but (2) requires more explanation.

To remove the water tank proceed as follows:

(1) Make some exploratory drillings to ascertain the location of the edges of the tank. (2) Draw lines on the V bert to detemine where to cut. (3) Using a dremel with a right angle attachment cut inside the lines and progressively expose the top surface of the water tank (4) The tank will probably have a harness of glass fibre supporting it. Cut this and remove. (5) The tank is tightly located between two forward and two aft vertical members. The tank also sits on forwrd and aft horizontal ledges. (6) Before the tank can be removed the starboard forward and aft vertical memebers MUST be removed. (7) The vertical members are screwed and glued to the bulkheads with three countersunk screws. Locate the aft starboard screws and remove then chop out the aft starboard vertical member. (8) Now locate the 3 screws in the starboard and port forward vertical members (head down chain locker) (9) Remove the screws and chop out the two forward vertical members. (10) It should now be possible to move the tank up slightly and forward. From this position it can (honestly) be manoeuvred out. (11) To assist removal shorten the breather spigot and the inlet filler pipe. (12) Having removed the tank either repair it by welding, replace it with a flexible tank or with a new rigid tank. (13) Manufacture a new hatch cover to cover the hole in the V berth.Repair any damage to the bulkheads using epoxy and tape. Possibly construct a shelf for the tank to sit on so that the stress are not only along the edges.