TC255 Building Photos...

C

Captains Cat

New member
Does anyone have construction photos taken during a TC255 build? I'd like to see a shot of the hull from above with the tanks (fuel/water) in place before the deck/cockpit was put in. Maybe there are some on the site here but I havent found them yet.

Charlie
 
Well I don't think I have any photos but I do have alot of knowledge about the Tomcat. I have built quite a few of them and have placed the fuel tanks myself many times. Let me know if I can be any help.
 
acustis":3huc3bne said:
Well I don't think I have any photos but I do have alot of knowledge about the Tomcat. I have built quite a few of them and have placed the fuel tanks myself many times. Let me know if I can be any help.
Click to expand...

Could you kind of describe what is in the sponsons, starting either at the forward or aft ends and working to the other end? That would be a good start (for me, anyway!)

Thanks so much!
Warren
 
Yes, that would be useful. Also, if anyone visits the factory to see their boat being built, if they have a TC255 under construction, some photos will be appreciated. I'll take some myself if I can make it to SBS 08!

Charlie
 
Ok I will try to summarize. Starting with the starboard side at the helm back. Underneath the helm is your water tank. From there back it runs underneath the floor under the galley with an access hatch there. Directly under that access hatch should be your shower drain box and fresh water pump. We used a T system that had all of your breaks in the water system right there at the pump and they ran to their desired location. Aft of the Shower drain box and water pump sits the fuel tank. Which will end at the start of the baitbox in the cockpit. Aft of the baitbox sits your macerator pump that drains the starboard baitbox.

Now to the portside. About Midway back into the hanging closet is where the fuel tank starts and ends at the same spot as the Starboard side. (Beginning of Baitbox). If you have a washdown pump you will find the strainer to clean in the access hatch under the hanging closet. Same as starboard side you will have a macerator pump to the very aft on the hull that will drain that box as well. We had rigged several boats differently but stayed the same with the systems I have described. If it was after my time at C-dory things could have changed. I hope some of this helps and any other things I can try to answer feel free to give me a shout!
 
Many thanks, Andrew!

Does the water tank run the full width of the boat? If not, what is in the port sponson occupying the space the water tank takes up in the starboard sponson?

Warren
 
Yes, thanks much for the info. Not much different than I expected but confirmation is great.

Warren, I think the water tank is fully within the starboard sponson. When everything is full up (fuel, water and the driver), I would think the boat would have a slight starboard list. You could compensate with a copilot, crew. Or batteries at the bottom of the hanging lockere!
 
The water tank on my TomCat (hull #75 ) is under the co-pilot's seat. Were they put on the helm side before or after that hull number?

I think someone wanted to know if there was some kind of resilient strips or supporting material under the fuel/water tanks to lift them off the hull bottom surface, also.

John
 
Warren,

If you look under that port inspection port under the co-pilot's seat area, you can see the water tank, if it is in that location. I am thinking they moved the water tank to the Port side to reduce that Starboard list.

John
 
The only time we ever put a water tank on the port side was if there were dual water tanks. It would not make any sense if the water tank was on the port side being that the water pump is on the starboard side under the galley. That would be after my time if it was on the port with a single water tank install. Hope this helps :lol:
 
Sorry I forgot to answer the fuel tank question. We did put 3 rubber strips underneath each fuel tank and two rubber strips on the aft edge of each tank that touchs the baitwell.
 
acustis":ap9bgebu said:
The only time we ever put a water tank on the port side was if there were dual water tanks. It would not make any sense if the water tank was on the port side being that the water pump is on the starboard side under the galley. That would be after my time if it was on the port with a single water tank install. Hope this helps :lol:
Click to expand...

So, normally, the water tank is on the starboard side and the port side opposite is empty?

Thanks,
Warren
 
Like Dr. John says, they must have changed the location of the water tank to the port side to help balance the load. Ours is on the port side, with a small access panel (that doesn't open all the way) under the front storage compartment. Even our manual says it's on the port side.
 
Sea Duck":3olj1qbi said:
Like Dr. John says, they must have changed the location of the water tank to the port side to help balance the load. Ours is on the port side, with a small access panel (that doesn't open all the way) under the front storage compartment. Even our manual says it's on the port side.
Click to expand...

So if it is now on the port side, what is on the starboard side opposite?

Warren
 
That could very well be the case. If you do not have dual water tanks one of the two sides is open unless something else I wasn't aware of took its place, but it was pretty well laid out by the time I left C-dory.
 
Andrew, hate to pester you again but I'm not shy! :oops:

If you were going to install a small AC unit (10K in this case) on a TC255, where would you put it. Under the sink is an obviouos location for me, lots of room, use the shower sump for condensate and one of the existing overboards to dump the cooling water back. Would the inlet for the cooling water need to go on the very bottom of the hull (couldn't actually because of trailer interference, but close).

Could it be put on the port side, behind where the fridge is mounted, under the forward dinette seat? If I dump condensate into the hull there, could it get by the alum fuel tank without doing damage and find it's way back to the bilge pump at the stern?

Thanks.... Hope to meet you at SBS 08, Sally and I are coming this year, I was there in 06 but missed 07!

Charlie
 
We ordered a second water tank, but the factory refused due to "wanting all boats to be the same"--there were at least two of the early boats with dual tanks. We obtained a second tank (stb fittings)--which could be modified to fit on the port side. The output hose would have to go thru the foreward bunk storage area.

Ted, Sea Duck, is your tank actually under the berth or is it just foreward of the fuel tank, under the navigator seat?

There is no room to run any hoses under the floor and bottom of the boat's wing deck which forms the top of the tunnel.

I am really sorry to hear that C Dory used rubber strips under the tanks. That is a "no no". As per David Pascoe's site on installation of alunimum fuel tanks: "Do not use rubber strips: rubber contains carbon, which is cathodic to aluminum and will cause galvanic corrosion." Unfortunately to remove the thanks and put in proper plastic strips with 5200 is very difficult, and requires some major surgery on the boat. Makes me wonder why folks building boats don't use proper techniques!
 
Bob - it all depends on the type of "rubber" used. If they used (as I would have) silicone rubber, then there is no problem at all with galvanic corrosion. There is also no problem with silicone rubber oxidizing over time (as will happen with many other rubbers). Also, not all rubbers have carbon black added to them. Hence, without more knowledge of what was actually done, I don't think we can assume that they didn't use proper techniques in this regard.
 
Honestly it has been a long time since I have been in a Tomcat. If I remember right I think I would put it under the galley as well. Being that most of your thru hulls are located there and the option of dumping into the shower box is nice. I cannot picture where a good spot for your pick up would be. What kind of A.C Unit are you purchasing? If you have other questions you can email me directly. I love to help when I can. We will see you at the S.B.S look forward to meeting you Charlie!
 
Warren: There's nothing on the starboard side in front of the fuel tank except for the shower drain/bilge pump box, the water pressure pump, and water supply/drain lines.

Dr. Bob: The water tank is located in front of the fuel tank. The forward edge is about 4 inches behind the bulkhead in the port sponson. The water supply line is then routed through the bulkhead into the storage area under the berth (near the top) and back through the bulkhead on the starboard side to the Flowjet. (Let me know if you'd like pictures.)
 
Back
Top