Water and diesel tanks out?

[leveche420]

Hi,

I am refitting a SoutherCross 31. I found delamination in the bilge... the fiberglass that covers the ballast/keel inside the boat shows cracks where I think water found its way through and created the delamination issue. I dont think it is very bad but needs to be fixed. See attached picture. I removed the cabin floor and what you see in the pic is the fiberglass water tank that is glassed to the hull (see red dots in the attached pic). Under that tank there is few inches of space (to let the water flow from bow to stern where the bilge pump is) and then the fiberglass that cover the ballast in the keel. By looking under the tank from where the red arrow shows I found the delamination that I mentioned before.

My current plan is to remove the tank and re-glass the bilge. This is going to be a big nasty task but I dont see how I can get around it without removing the water tank. oh and BTW right aft the water tank there is a smaller diesel tank, also glassed to the hull that I will probably have to remove too.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!!

[leveche420]

Here is the attached picture

[SVTatia]

I am curious how you found the delamination from inside with the tanks in place...
Think this thru before you get the sawzall.... did you contact other SC owners?
Sounds like a hell of a job mainly due to the place and the working position.

[Cheechako]

I'm not sure what I'm seeing. Are you saying the red dots indicate where the delam is? Or are you just seeing white areas where the glass wasnt fully "wetted out" when built? That is just the laminated cover of the bilge area? There is a waterway underneath the tanks to allow bilge flow? If so, is the delam an issue?
I agree, think this through. Or are you saying there is water in the ballast? How do you know?

[Suijin]

I don’t see how you could get a good view from that vantage point of what’s going on under the tanks short of using a scope of some sort. As Cheechako says you may just be looking at sloppy wetting out. Also I’d bet it’s pretty dirty under there which would also interfere with a good look.

Would suck to pull everything up and find it basically sound.

[Terra Nova]

Now is certainly the time to pull the tanks and make a thorough repair of it.

[RaymondR]

Down in the keel it appears to not be a structural problem so if the tanks are not leaking I would tend to leave it alone and go sailing.