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I bought a 1990 Revenge 22 last January. Since then I have been restoring her. All the bright work has been succesfully removed and refinished. The engines are 1999 yamaha 4 stroke 100hp. An oil change and fresh gear lube took care of them. When the boys in Rockport built the captains locker (under the helm) they failed to coat all of the raw edges of the plywood with Marine varnish. From lack of maintenance over the years the plywood delaminated and the box more or less fell apart. The only parts that were salvageable were the exterior trim and the door. (both of solid mahogany) Using what was left as templates I rebuilt the locker and of course coated everything with 5 coats of Marine Varnish before assembly. I did move the batteries forward under the port side of the console. This required running new heavy guage wire from the engines forward under the port side gunnel. Each engine is independent from the other thanks to two battery switches. I can select to start either engine from either battery. This way if I get a dead battery I can still get both engines started and get home. The switches are mounted on the port side going into the cuddy. I didn't rewire to much but I did go through her and clean up all the wiring under the helm and also removed a ton of old wires from old electronics that had been gone for years. I added a Humminbird 900 series GPS (which is outstanding) and successfuly used the boat this past summer. She has a wonderfully soft ride compared to my old 1967 Nauset.
Putting her back on the trailer after vacation I removed the deck plate covering the 77gal fuel tank a week after I was home. My heart skipped a beat. Seeing that Whaler had installed the tank and then foamed it into position raised some hairs on the back of my neck. I new the tank had been wet in the past and knew it was probably still wet. Removing the foam at the stern of the tank revealed puddling water. I used a shop vac to remove the water only to have more take it's place. In my gut I knew I had to take the tank out. After siphoning 60 gallons of fuel a little at a time into my work van I removed all the foam. Removed the tank and was not surprised to see the aluminum was very pitted. After the tank was tested and found to be in good condition I sanded the tank, acid etched the aluminum and then primed and painted it. I had to solve the problem of water around the tank. I decided I could not stop water from getting down into the fuel tank well but I could at least elevate the tank to facilitate removal of the water that might collect in the future. The tank now sits on multiple strips of 1/2" fuel hose that keeps an air space completely under the tank. Not wanting to make the same mistake Whaler did by using the foam, I purchased inflateable boat fenders. After installing the tank, I positoned three fenders on each side and slowly started to inflate each one. As they grew in diameter they squeezed the tank to hold it firmly in position.
Know to solve the problem of removing the water. Not having any room for a bilge pump down in the hole... I decided to use a diaphram pump mounted under the console on the port side. These pumps are designed for potable water systems in boats and RV's. They will pull air and eventually pump water out of the hole. I ran a 1/2" hose from the bottom of the well up through the tunnel and into the console on the port side. Now I can run the pump and remove any water that may accumulate down in the hole around the fuel tank. Removing the inspection plates allows air to circulate and helps keep the fuel tank well dry.
I have photos if anyone is interested. I'm not to sure how to post them, but with some guidance I might be able to post them for all to view.
Thanks to all who run this site.
Norm M.
1999 280 Conquest w/twin 225 Mercs
"When the people fear their government there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
Thomas Jefferson
Of course I removed the aluminum ribs and the foam that Whaler used to hold it in place. Then I siphoned the fuel out into a 5 gallon can to get it into my work van. ( I had about 50 gallons of fuel left) I thought I would just grab hold of the tank and lift it out but it was stuck pretty good, some of the foam had flowed under the tank and held it tight. So to assist me I flooded the area around the tank with water. The bouyancy of the water broke the tank loose and with a bit of a tug I was able to get it free.
Hope this helps you,
Norm
If I can be of further assistance please let me know.
1999 280 Conquest w/twin 225 Mercs
"When the people fear their government there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
Thomas Jefferson
Glad you painted the tank as one thing I didn't know is that when you put aluminum against rubber, it causes a reaction: "rubber contains carbon, which is cathodic to aluminum and will cause galvanic corrosion."
