Help and ideas needed

nick wood · 11 August 2004, 18:25

I have a Ribtec 645 it was a custom made deck with underfloor S/S fuel tanks 30gl each and a fish hold, over the last few months we been smelling petrol from some where, not much but enough and it is appering in the fish hold witch is behind the fuel tanks, has anyone ever had this problem with there rib if so what have you done?

Andy · 11 August 2004, 18:31

Can you get access to the filler, vent and fuel out fittings. I would check these first as the things most likely to be leaking. My Ribtec does not have under floor tanks, but they may use the same type of fitting, in my case plastic/rubber pipes over stainless pipes, held in place with clips. They do loosen off occasionally and leak. I would try and get access to these ... you must be able to I cant imagine they would have sealed them away which would stop maintanence.

I think if the tanks had split/failed you would have far more fuel than you report.

Pete7 · 11 August 2004, 18:39

Nick, my 645 had the same tanks and the same problem when I bought her. Andy is right it was small amounts of fuel leaking from the fuel filling and vent pipes caused by Ribtec putting the console so close to the front fuel tank filler no one could fit 2 jubilee clips properly. The answer was to cut the rear of the console and then fit a plate over the hole.

Pete

nick wood · 11 August 2004, 18:42

Thanks for that ya i have got to were the fillers are at the top of the tank the pipes look ok clips are tight, i took 10gl out of each tank and raised the front of the boat, i drained and cleaned the fish hold left it over night next day there was some fuel in the fish hold again,this shold not happen at this time of year. im dreading to have to cut the deck up, i spock to ribtec and they said they would get back to me but no reply yet, the guy there was quite helpfull he was there when it wasbuilt in 1994, but he was shocked he had never heard of this haperning.

Pete7 · 11 August 2004, 18:55

Nick, I had the boat nose up for months and it didn't help I could still smell petrol. Mine was an early 95 model. when I cut a 6" hole in the front deck I found that the front under deck compartments drain under the tanks and the gap in the middle through a tube glassed in under the tanks. The fuel that was sat under the tank couldn't get into the tube so just sat around the tank.

The solution was to drill a small pilot hole in the underdeck bulk head infront of the front tank and tip the boat nose down. Perhaps a gallon of fuel ran out into the front of the hull. Whislt drilling the hole was worrying with a fuel tank on the other side of the bulk head I did it very slowly.

Also put a hatch between the fuel tanks and one in the stern deck just so I could see what was going on under the deck.

Pete.