Sail Life - Finalizing the diesel tank design and tucking in Athena - DIY boat repair 

I’ve just had to pause the video at the fuzzy dice!! The music!! You’re my hero Mads! ... now on to watching the rest of the show...

Lost it when the dice appeared. When provisioned, tanks topped and ready to sail you will be a "Low Rider." Attended a Nigel Calder lecture at the Chicago Boat Show this past January. Smart man. He was even hawking that book you have. Generously signed my copy.

Loved the fuzzy dice and mood music segment.

The fuzzy dice are a little extra AF, yet SO appropriate. Love the vids!

Too funny. Love the dice. Perfect for your LA trip too.

I've been rewatchhing your entire video collection, gotta love the fuzy dice in the engine compartment ❤

Straddle the smaller rear plate so it will give access to both sides of the fore-aft baffle, and re-size it as/if necessary. Mirror-image the large front plate so that the 3 centerline holes are still centered but it also straddles the fore-aft baffle. Look at time 15:00 in the video to see this clearly. Maybe cut notches into tops of the fore-aft baffle to make it easier for your arm to reach into both areas from the two access holes.

I will be coming back home to my beloved San Luis Obispo (200 miles northwest of LA) on the 15th and I don't know that I'll be able to get down to LA to meet you. That said, if you and Eva plan to do any traveling up the coast, I would be happy to show you around SLO, or at very least, buy you both a beer. Thanks for alway making my Sundays one where I smile. Save travels to California!

Another great video...always enjoy each one. You mentioned LED lights in the engine room. Great idea. I was thinking if it were me I might instal more lights on the engine room walls lower down to have 100% vision of every angle and inch of the engine. A leak or a drip in the future might be easier spotted. As for me there is no such thing as over illumination in hard to access areas. Another option is bright LED's mounted on flexible tubes that can access any point of the engine...but flexed away and mounted on clips for storage with in the engine bay. I like lights anywhere it could be dark in storage compartments and hard to visually access especially at night. Just a thought. Welcome to the US...LA I was born there. Can't wait to meet your new girl. She's getting a handsome brilliant perfectionist ...that loves to sail. What a great find. You can tell her we all said so. Best wishes.

As a guy who grew up in the 70s I love the fuzzy dice

Great idea putting the fittings in the hatch.

I always look forward to your videos. Watching them makes me feel a little less crazy in that there are other people who care way too much about some details.

Very homely engine compartement especially the stylish designer toilett!

Mads,. Looking spiffy as always. Enjoy LaLa land. (Here LA is lower Alabama). Not sure how often one opens an inspection port if you use your tank polisher on a regular basis, but a solution may be a mechanical connection to pick up tubes (flared tube on compression fitting) and the mechanical connection on your focus tube that can allow removal of tubes that can be easily repaired/replaced and allow remove of port (what's a few more bolts to turn at the end of a fun day of tank inspection?) In the confined headspace. However if adding an inspection port (and keeping the connections on a removable port) is not cost prohibitive it may be a better idea. In line ball valves can serve as a way to control flow of product and allow you to use fewer tank ports and use your fuel polisher to be your transfer pump. (Think custom built fuel polisher with the already purchased transfer pump and in line filters/water separator). I am sure it will be awesome no matter what you decide.

I like the idea of putting everything on the inspection plates, but as others have suggested, I would mock that up on your test tank using wood dowels to simulate the pickup tubes and make sure you can remove the plate once the tank is in place. Don't forget that the tubes may hit that side-to-side baffle as you angle the plate forward for removal (so you might need to mock up the baffles too. Also, you could use a single side-to-side internal baffle to sort of make a sump ledge in the bottom triangle part of the tank. Something way down low, extending forward, but parallel to the top of the tank. Anyway, great video Mads! Enjoy your time in the States!

You really need a sump, Mads. It doesn't have to be big, it just needs to prevent sludge from remixing with fresh fuel. Also, as a top coat for the engine bay, consider "Lizard Skin" in white. It's a paint made for deadening sound, as well as heat...plus, it looks spiffy.

I bought Nigel Calder's 4th edition after you mentioned it in a previous video. I agree - best book around for boat owners who like to understand how marine systems work. You publish very entertaining and informative videos, jeeze, you even make sanding look like a relaxing weekend sport! THANKS!

For fanden! All of a sudden work that was starting on the 19th is now starting on the 18th, blowing my chance to attend the meetup... Maybe I'll be able to say hello next time I'm in Denmark. Have a good time all!

Phew, feeling much better now I've had my Sail Life fix :) On covering those big holes, I would make sure they are fully sealed as sound can easily find its way through small cracks. Enjoy America.

The tank looks good, those compartments with limited access is no big deal. You have nothing in them so needing access would be for something major like a cracked tank and well you can just remove the tank for something that major. Think twice about the thickness of the tank, you need some flexibility in the tank as the boat will flex some and without some flex in the tank it will eventually pull out the mounts or crack the tank. The old tank was 40 years old and never had an issue at only 1mm so can't ask for more than that. Awesome have fun in Cali take video, for those us us who can't make it, we would love to meet Ava.

Love to see the progress! I really would like to do something equal. I just consider if you have your boat in freezing conditions, the drainage houses have a low spot in the middle, means that it could be an ice plug that will not allow drainage until its melting, then you have water issues.... and yes, I know Im about 3 years late on this topic :o)

Smart man beefing up that tank even more than needed imo. After all your hard work is complete, it'd be a BAD time to ever have a... Well, you know. Covering up those holes rather than repairing them is a bit of a surprise!

You have thought everything out very well. The only thing I would add is that you should add some form of supports on the forward part of the tank to strap/tie the flexible fuel hoses down so that they lay down all nice and neat and orderly as they come off the the tank before turning and transitioning over to the side of the engine room along the sound insulation. If you think ahead here you can have the flexible hoses run as neat and orderly as your electrical cables ran inside the locker next to the nav station. Horizontal metal supports with holes in them every 5m or so welded to the tank will allow you to use zip ties to make small vertical loops and more zip ties to run through those vertical loops horizontally to support the fuel hoses just tight enough that they don't flop around. These supports, if about 10-15mm proud of the tank will also stiffen up the tank walls to combat oil-canning and work-hardening of the stainless tank material. I can't wait until you get back to Athena and bring this engine room and fuel tank project together. Yours and FollowTheBoat are the two best RU-vid sailing video channels going right now, hands down. I can't wait for the next video to see what awesomesauce workmanship you will show us.

Dear Mads, . . . yes, I know, more comment/s about diesel tanks! This may repeat what has already been said, but maybe that's not a bad thing? 1. Inspection ports are just that. Tempting though it may be, do not subjugate their use for something else. 2. The sump illustrated in Nigel Calder's book is shown for a very good reason. Experience has convinced me that this works well. Ignore this design at your peril! 3. When filling or refuelling your tank, air must escape through a suitably large breather, to stop fuel blowing back out of the filler. Please give this some thought. Regards Tim

Fuzzy dice!!! Perfect!

Enjoy your trip to LA. Looking forward to your new videos

Hi Mads, I had to make inspection holes after installing the diesel tank (when I was on a holyday) to remove the well-known diesel bacteria and clean the whole tank. Everything was blocked. So I would suggest to make inspection ports for every compartment. Better safe than sorry.

Great idea with the fittings in a removable plate, the no sump idea with just a low spot is fine. I would build a small internal baffle box around the low spot so if there is any sludge it would be prone to stay in that part of the tank. Maybe extend the life of your filters.

Tank design looks good. Baffles look ok. You can add anti slosh foam blocks later if the stainless baffles arn't enough. I use the foam blocks in my fuel cells in my cars, they work great.

E-books, web and the like are great for finding out what you need to know pretty quickly, but with a quality, physical reference text that you have to flick through to find what you want you get briefly sidetracked by things on the other pages you glance at. I find with a reference book/manual, I come away with what I wanted plus at least two or three more chunks of semi-random but useful information that more often than not come in handy another time.

Really like your choice of tank material. I never thought about putting the fittings on plates and I think it's a great idea. If you use stainless line you can bend for the distribution lines then the only places for possible leaks would be the top of the tank and the other end where you use soft line to actually hook to what the line is feeding (i.e. Fuel filter ). With good screw on brackets to secure the line I don't see any vibration problems. Enjoy your trip to LA.

I used marine-grade engine exhaust hose for my own cockpit scuppers. Exhaust hose is tougher and much more heat-resistant than vinyl hose, and not much more expensive than high-quality reinforced marine vinyl hose like you just put in. I paid around $5/foot with my WestMarine Pro discount. The cockpit scupper drain hoses pass within 40cm of my engine so I didn't want to mess around since they exit below waterline through the hull and always have seawater in them up to about 30cm over the seacocks. The drains are 1-5/8" or roughly 41mm so if one ever burst that would be a lot of water rushing in. My cockpit sole isn't much above the waterline even though we have a center cockpit. The previous owner up-sized the drainage hoses so if the boat ever pooped it would at least drain out much faster.

Mad, Couple of concerns. Cockpit drain hoses need to have a more vertical run from cockpit to overboard, eliminate the low spots. Engine compartment holes need to be sealed off for fire containment. Fuel tank baffles should have holes at the very bottom to allow for contaminants to reach low spot ( sump ) area of tank. Cheers from Seattle.

It might be good to reduce the siphon-form of the tubing to prevent water to be catched there and clogging. Just an Idea. Thanks for your positive Videos!

Another great video, thank you.. Enjoy your visit with Ava, safe travels.

Hey Mads...ask Ava to come back with you. Maybe she can call you down on the purchasing of all the gadgets that you want to put on the boat. The videos are Awesome by the way.

Regarding the triangle thingies of doom, now that we know their purpose, I would reccommend filling the holes and making them somewhat water / airtight. If you ever did have a fuel tank leak, it could contain the fuel to the engine compartment so any theoretical fire might be more contained to be easier to put out in time to save the boat. If it were able to leak out through that big hole it could be a bigger problem. as far as fuel tanks go, I second still incorporating a sump. You could probably source a premade stainless box of some sort to keep the cost down. You could also probably keep the profile of the tank by having a horizontal baffle strake welded inside the tank to keep any potential sludge contained. That would add floor strength too. start the base about 150mm or so back from the bottom corner, and angle it up at a 30 degree angle or so for another 20-40mm, weld the bottom and the sides. Instant wedge shaped sump thingy

Hai hai, awesome layout but i would make the inspection door bigger so you can inspect the other side in the tank. it is one thing and if you take it off you can inspect on eye and it is only one gasget so making it bigger is not a big deal it stays the same inspection door and you got room for a bigger one. And for now have a great time with your girl :) Greetings from Holland,, Kitty.

Consider using stainless hydraulic pipes with weld fittings or simply just bend up to the correct shape in one full length. You can use the two 90-bend fittings on the tank and continue via a union into the pipe. I think a bend solution is both better and cheaper than all the fittings. You can make templates for the pipe by twisting two lengths of fence wire with the drill first to get a rigid straight wire. Then bending the wire into the shape you need (just use pliers and forget any radius). Then take the wires to any tractor repair shop and have them bend up the pipes. :-) Usually the bend in a hydraulic pipe is 2½ to 3 diameters of the pipe, but ask the shop what bending machine they have and what it can do. As you can imagine vibrations are not a problem considering where the pipes are usually used.

My one concession would be to make sure the diesel heater runs out of fuel first, as you may need to motor into a fuel dock. In Alaska all sailboats are setup so the heater doesn't use all of the fuel and there is a reserve for docking in a emergency

Good decisions Mads. Nice to be able to call on so many for constructive input. Nice for your viewers to know that they have helped in some little way too.

Mads... i think you have a great idea for your tank and the original design for the piping. if you're worried about the 90 degree bends, I would suggest you make the tube out of one piece of SS tubing. Consider using a Swagelok tubing bender on the tubes. I use it for the high end oceanographic equipment i build. You'd have a really clean looking tank.

Mads before you leave for LA, pour water into the drain hoses. There looks to be a low spot where water will sit, freeze then block any additional cockpit drainage. If that happens you could come back to a cabin full of ice. Have a safe flight.

Girlfriend in USA, living in Denmark, those Boat renovation problem solving skills will come in handy soon ....

Yes I believe in this particular case overkill might also have some disadvantages that are worth while thinking about it. I believe the 20 gauge will hold up as good as the 2mm under the circumstances. But when it comes to modifications the 2 mm will be a big difference. I can´t help it, there are a lot of new and good ideas but I also can see a few lose ends where it´s not all clear what the optimum solution would be. There are a lots of choices and variants and this might not be the final design. It´s not only the tank. It´s also all the connections and the components that have to be serviced afterwards. Right of top I can already think of two issues that were mentioned before. First, will the plate with all the deep connections come off. I don´t see comfortable and enough space with the engine installed.....And definitly since the only pipe that goes all the way to the bottom is focused on a fixed point I would prefer this to be my lowest point in the system and therefore design a slight V shape in the bottom of the tank on the face side to the engine. This will also always give me an alternative to use gravity. If You go in only from the top then You will always depend on some kind of extra invention/device/pump that helps to get diesel out of the tank which otherwise might be as simple as just opening the drain plug. Things are always sweet as long as they function but what happens if they don´t ?

Greetings from very sunny Tunisia in North Africa. Today the temperature was 24!!! I'm only on holiday here for two weeks then back to freezing Manchester... I love your channel, the warm mix of humour and information with some great shots of your great dog... keep up the fantastic work both on the boats and the videos when you return. Safe travelling both now and in the future. Regards Steve

I had to do some fiberglass repair. So... I bought a multi-tool. Since I had a cordless drill, I bought a matching multi-tool so I could share batteries. What a breeze... removing the old rotten core with the multi-tool. Don't know what else it can be used for... but for this... what a life saver!

Don’t use a 90° elbow on the Fill line, it will restrict the free flow during filling and irritate you something awful. Make sure your mounting brackets still fit through the engine compartment opening, and companion way. Add a Cap or Plug to the top of the tank to easily dip fuel level, you may loose the ability to read the sender at some point in a remote area.

I just discovered your channel last Sunday (March 4). My wife and I love your sense of humor. When you said you were holding an meetup in LA (where we live) we thought it would be a fun time. Sadly we are going to be out of town that weekend. Hopefully there will be a next time. I have watched at least half the Athena videos. I am fascinated by the entire process, in part, because I am considering live aboard life. Hope you have a safe trip, and a great meetup.

Welding horizontal tabs to the tank may interfere with installing it through the carefully measured opening...but I am sure you have thought of that and will come up with a better solution !

Going up in thickness on the stainless sheet metal will produce a stronger tank, but keep in mind that only a small increase in thickness will exponentially increase strength and stiffness plus with the baffles you have planned even more so. If you go 2mm that will not only be overkill, but exponential increase in weight and cost. You are at 1mm, also known as 20 gauge (.95mm) or 19 gauge (1.1mm) depending on how accurate your calipers are. You can step up to 18, 17, or 16 gauge (1.27, 1.4, or 1.59 mm respectively). Even the 18 gauge is a considerable increase in stiffness without much increase in cost. 17 gauge (1.4 mm) is probably the sweet spot I think you might choose. 16 gauge (1.59 mm) is overkill for sure, and 2mm is 14 gauge and that would be nuts! The thicker gauges are used in tanks that have long or tall unsupported spans. Keep in mind you pay for sheet material by weight!

As always, great content. Have a safe trip to visit Ava. I wish I could make it out to meet you and shake your hand. I'm learning a great deal from you! Thanks!

If you do not want to give up your shiny stainless dream you might want to consider either bent pipes or welded elbows. I do not want you to give up your dreams! We all remember your AC cabling. :)

Wow fuzzy dice... Had me ROTFL... Priceless... Mads for the win...

The 'V' shape tank bottom is a great idea & simple for the fabricators to do. would only need a minor alteration to the tank support you intend to make too. a very 'Elegant' solution with very little cost. You could even have the 'fold line' cover only one third of the tank length so only one end of the tank needs a different shape. Have fun in CA.

Thorough as always!

Look locally for someone that does commercial kitchens. Around here, if you slap the word "marine" on something it multiplies the price. Commercial kitchens have custom stainless steel sinks, countertops, and so on. I wouldn't recommend this for a gasoline/petrol tank since they require pressure testing, but if they can fabricate sinks that don't leak, they can fabricate your diesel tank. Simply walk your prototype into their shop and they'll do the rest. Save a bunch on shipping. If the shop you find can't do it, they may be able to point you to a welding shop that can. Alternatively, call around to local welding shops and ask about their experience working with stainless.

Hi Mads. Just my cents worth but how about using the blank section on the top of the tank (seen at 12:55 with 2 x elbow fittings) to place an additional inspection hatch. It would be very little extra cost, add even more stiffness (when bolted tightly) and be assured when all fitted out and sailing you will want every option available. One of your other "Comment Buddies" suggested a "V" section to the bottom of the tank to trap residue - it is not a bad idea if you have room. Enjoy LA and say Hi to Ava.

Nice layout and good explanations.

The off set bolt Patten on the level sensor is to account for older style sensors that have a swinging arm that must be orientated correctly to allow the arm to swing.

Great job with the prototype tank. Enjoy your trip to the states.

looks great have a nice holiday

Hi Mads, another great video. Wish I could make it down to LA. Please come back to Vancouver Canada again :) Nigel Calder has many great books, and as my girlfriend and I are avid sailors out here, we are so looking forward to meeting Nigel this month at his diesel mechanics course put on by the BlueWater Cruising Association. I am going to ask so many questions although his books answer so many lol. Have a great time in LA and look forward to seeing more videos from you. Thanks from the west coast of Canada

It's looking good Mads. Love how you explain your thought process with your projects

Fuel tank plan looks great. I guess the rest of the project goes from there outward. Have fun on your trip!

Great job bro thanks for the video . Am so great to see you next week !

Mads, the red dice ..... pretty dang spiffy dude

"Sunny, sunny warm Los Angeles." It's been raining for the past two days out here!

If you want to work on Athena and spend time with Ava .... bring her to Denmark! :D

Hydraulic couplings on stainless pipe are remarkably robust (twin-ferrule types such as Swagelok or Parker), but they are expensive (c. £30 each). You can get socket welded types which are obviously permanent and are fine and marginally more cost efficient. Don't buy bends though - spend your money on tube benders and use a single piece of tube - neater, quicker and cheaper. A company called Stauff do some nice tube clamps for securing - again, very neat and you can stack the clamps and get various types, sizes etc.

Hi Mads. With the design of your tank having no sump it would be better to just weld in some small triangles 50mm high to make pockets in the lower part of the tank. Probably 3 or 4 would be enough to catch any debris and stop it slopping about the bottom of the tank. Would be like a few small sumps in the tank. Looking forward to the final design. Are you going to do a live stream of the meet ? Have a great holiday. regards from the UK

Mads we would happily quote to make your tank and due to your tube channel the rate would be very beneficial. Let me know.

Would like to mention that the role of the sump is also to isolate against lateral motion. You want to keep debris contained, there's a reason for it to be the way it is, and unfortunately, yours isn't going to cut it. Oh well, it's probably nothing you'll notice in your life time so no reason to be worried over it.

The first ideas to run the fuel lines out of stainless pipes is much better you could use a tube bender just like if you was running new brakes line on a new custom frame a tube blender will make it much easy

Should work have a blessed trip

Nigel Calder THE bible for boat owners. Never leave the dock without it.

Enjoy your vacation,loved the fuzzy dice

There are some very good comments here. I don't think the design phase is finished yet. Don't be tempted to rush the most important step to get it fabricated for your return.

Seeing the new ideas for the tank are great but I do see a couple of drawbacks. First, placing the fittings on a removable plate, in my mind is a bad idea. Here is why, for the stripping and fuel pick ups as well as the focusing tube, if they are mounted to the removable lpanel the tank will have to be pulled out of the engine compartment in order to have enough clearance above the tank to actually access the tank through the access panel. Second, the pick ups and focus tube should be supported near the bottom of the tank to ensure they stay put, do not fatigue and or come loose. In order to do that the tank top fittings would need to be installed in the fixed tank top and fitted with a clamping mechanism near the bottom and to do that you would need an access panel with no fittings installed. Now onto the second item of concern, welding. If you weld fittings onto a small access panel, there will be warping, a warped access panel will be harder to seal that a flat one. To help insure a flat surface to seal the access panels, with or without fittings, it would be good to increase the thickness of one of the plates, the tank top or the access panel or install a reinforcing ring or backing structure, to ensure all surfaces are flat to ensure a good seal. Make sure the mounting tabs do not limit the ability of the tank to slide in and out of the engine compartment. ok now the last item, when you have the tank built out of 316L, ensure the fabricator uses the low carbon weld filler wire/rod. As a boat builder for many years I enjoy watching your videos each week and I am pleased to see the amount of thought and detail you put into the installations. The attention to detail will pay dividends down the road. Keep up the good work. Scott

Very interesting and informative. Thank you for the video.

Enjoy the vacation my friend, Boat is looking good.

Have a safe and happy trip to the US. And as always, enjoyed your video.

Enjoy Mads! We will probably be in Papua New Guinea by the time you get back to Athena. If you ever make it to the South Pacific, let us know!

Madz - another great update - I would consider only putting one baffle in the tank - the one that runs fore and aft and delete the athwartships baffle. The free surface effect on stability is more affected by the free surface breadth than the length (lb cubed/12) so it will save you fabrication costs.

Ah good dyi stuff Mads.. enjoy L.A. and your time with Ava, the meeting with your fan,s I wish i could go make the trip. thanks for sharing.love the show..

safe trip Mads!

Have a great trip. Enjoy your time away.

Looking forward to a full video report on your time with Eva/Ava! lol... God tur! ;)

About this focus pipe: 1. Does it have a hole in the top so the level inside the pipe actually matches the real level (and is not distorted by air pressure inside the pipe)? 2. In case you plan on mounting the pipe onto the removable plate (I think you do), make sure you are still able to lift the plate out of the engine compartment! If there's a pipe connected to it that still reaches into the tank, and you have not enough room above the tank, you will not get it out of there without disconnecting the pipe, and when disconnected the pipe might fall into the tank and so on... Make sure to give it a good thought! Greetings from Germany!

Hi Mads, enjoy the trip. Wish I could head out to California. I need a break. +1 on testing those drain hoses before leaving. Also consider how well they will drain when on a heel. 316L stainless is the best choice. Almost all industrial tankage uses that. Glad you are goig back to hoses. Proper welded or swaged stainless lines would be nearly impossible in that space. The vibration issue is very real as is crevice corrosion. Everyone has some sort of threaded fitting you can bodge together if you need to but stainless lines, not so much.

Mads, arounf 4:20, you mention the fuel suction line extending deep into the sump - please look at the book again. The fuel suction line is the bent back one to the right of it. The line extending deep into the sump is capped off at the top and probably there to remove water and debris from the sump every once in a while!

Good job Mads. I worry that all those fittings on those covers will make it hard to get a good seal, and stress might cause a leak.

Why not move the inspection/fitting plates over the top of the baffles, thus giving access to all four quadrants inside the tank. Not having welds on such a small area shouldn't weaken the tank. I enjoy your videos very much, thank you.

Hi, a few suggestions that may help when getting a quote and does affect the price, we build s/s tanks, it is best to allow holes in the very top of the baffles to allow the air inside to equalize when filling (if not you will wish you had), and to have support at the bottom of any pipes dropping down inside, if not fatigue failure could happen to the pipes with the slosh of fuel inside. Also 2mm is good gauge to use 316L. Great video's really enjoy them. Micheal UK.

I really think you should have a talk with a Pipe Fitter before you lock your self in to flexible hoses on the tank you might find another way to get the look you liked.

Great video again, it's nice that you have meetup in the US. But what about A meetup in Denmark as well. BR. Lars - Aalborg

Consider that if all the penetrations go thru the access panel, you may not be able to remove the access panel due to the pickup tubes and not having enough height above.

hi Mads, talking about the asthetics of the designed flexible tubes; you may consider placing them in a straight line from port-to starboard side, so that once you look in the engine compartment, the (steal-coated) flexible tubes are nicely lined up. Best regards.

GRP tank, use vinylester as a resin. DIY. Made a mutiplex inner mould, made the tank with the baffles complete and make a lid and use a NBR gasket. All tankconnections in the lid, no manholes / or inspection holes. For inspection after some years simply open the lid and clean inside. You can do it!!!!

I thought you were going to bust out a disco ball. I still think that would be even more "engine room -- hubba hubba !!!" than the fluffy dice...