venture fuel tanks

Good topic for boat owners !
Why does the builder not take the extra steps to do it right ?
Time is extra money ( cost ).
Out of sight, out of mind. The boats all look so great at the boat shows.
Like so many on this site have noted; "My fasteners were not bedded very well".
Why coiuldn't the builder take the extra step to camfer the drilled hole, so that the sealant was not completely squished out from under the fixture. It would require an extra step ( time is money ).
Why would anyone think that a pop rivet to fasten seat bases, is satisfactory ?
The c-dory hull is done well, it is just some of the attaching methods are not the "best".
Gives us boat owners something to do on weekends !
alan
 
Alan,
You are correct--labor time is more money--and the costs go up. Same with putting solid glass or other material blocks in decks where there are cleats, or where thru hull are placed.

Unfortunately the camfer would not prevent the issue into a cored structure. (beside there are bit accessories, which would do the relieve. Why are the cutouts for the hatches or windows made too big at times? Lots of those questions.

One of the boats I looked at last March had the side and aft cleats screwed into place--no backing plate or bolt!

You can buy that quality boat--But it is going to be very expensive. Some builders don't know any better--but I suspect that many do--and just cut the corner. Part of the industry philosophy is that the boat will be traded in for a new one (they hope the same brand) in 5 years. There are a lot of folks who have the $$ to buy a new boat every 2 to 5 years. Maybe not many of us on this forum. How many small outboard cruising boats are still being used 35 years after they were built?

Thanks Joe for fixing the link--I missed doing the preview--I should have done it.
 
There have been boat builders that have had solid glass structure in those areas where a fixture would be mounted. Takes foresight and planning.
Commander Boats, cored there decks with individual blocks of wood ( like 2"x 4") these blocks were soaking in a resin bath prior to removal and then placement into the mold. In this way, a leaking fixture would not migrate within the core more than the affected block.
So much of what is talked about here is about the application of the method. I have rebuilt many boats, my list of owned boats is not a complete list. My method of sealing a core, depends on the core material. I always camfer the surface under the fixture. I use two different sealants depending whether it is above or below the waterline. On bolted fixtures, I NEVER rotate the fastener, tighten only via the nut from underside. I have never had a fixture leak after re-fitting. I have removed cleats that I have re-fitted, there is a solid ring of sealant in the camfered groove. The cleat would never have leaked, unless literally ripped from the boat. Sometimes I use a glassed backing board, sometimes I use a aluminum plate for backing.
There are more than one way to do a proper application, the quality of the job comes down to the person doing the job.
I have ground so much fiberglass, that I purchased an external supplied air respiratory system that is a full suit. Best purchase I ever made. Still covered head to toe in dust, but in side the suit positive air pressure blowing out.
Like the fuel tank issue, there are many different ways to make the tanks last longer. And it depends on the skill level of the person doing the job.
alan
 
Alan, with your background and skills, I can see the Camfer working--I have seen too many failures--and as you say it is the skill of the person who is doing the work. Unfortunately we see that many boat builders hire relatively cheap labor. I have seen some horror stories with grinding fiberglass--and had one operation which was particularly dangerous shut dow.
 
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