Leaking 330 Signature fuel tank

[ChessieBay]

My 2006 330 Signature started leaking gas into the bilge and didn’t stop until the tank was dry.
Now the marina has the challenge of getting the tank out of the mid-cabin floor. It is not yet clear how much cutting is required besides removing the floor.
Does anyone have experience with a tank replacement in a similar boat? I understand this is not terribly uncommon in Chaparral boats.

 

[Denny]

My 2006 330 Signature started leaking gas into the bilge and didn’t stop until the tank was dry.
Now the marina has the challenge of getting the tank out of the mid-cabin floor. It is not yet clear how much cutting is required besides removing the floor.
Does anyone have experience with a tank replacement in a similar boat? I understand this is not terribly uncommon in Chaparral boats.

Years ago I had a gasoline issue on my 9 yr old Chap. It was a manufacturing issue, and they offered to help out with some of the cost. Your girl is 20 yrs old, it might be worth a call to Chap. But I think that you need to find out if it is the fault of the product or the installation first. Either way you need to decide If it is worth the cost and time without her to you to have the repairs done, and you need to have someone that has the experience of doing this type of work. This is going to be a major operation. Not so much in the tearing apart everything to do the work, but putting everything back together as if it were never taken apart. My issue was in and open area, but still it was a dirty mess.
Good luck, please keep us in the loop.

 

[ChessieBay]

The marina has already been in touch with Chaparral for some guidance. I posted this same issue on the Facebook Chaparral owners page. It took less than 24 hours for nearly a dozen replies with claims of similar experiences. Sadly, I concluded that it was time to sell the boat rather than pour more money into it. But, with a gas tank that won’t hold gas it is an unsalable environmental hazard. So, I’m sucking it up and making the repair in the (futile) hope that this is the last major repair for a few years.

 

[Denny]

Another thing to consider is, that there are people out there that will buy projects like this.
Right now make sure that she is well ventilated. Your foam around the leak is like a big sponge!

 

[ChessieBay]

Thanks Denny. The hatch is open a few inches and she is in the hands of my trusted mechanic of 10 years. My rationale is that I cannot buy a 35 ft boat of any kind for what it will cost to fix this problem.

 

[Denny]

Thanks Denny. The hatch is open a few inches and she is in the hands of my trusted mechanic of 10 years. My rationale is that I cannot buy a 35 ft boat of any kind for what it will cost to fix this problem.

Tough call, you have to make the choice that suits you best. The positive part, is it happened at the right time of year. I'm gauging by your ID, that you are on the east coast. Good luck, progress report and pictures please. Could help someone else, and educate the rest of us too.

 

[Bt Doctur]

All I will add is to coat the tank with the bedliner product , A bullet proof coating

 

[Iggy]

This is well known problem with the Sig 330 model. I had a Sig 290 for 8 years, all good. I would look at a plastic tank for a replacement. My 2nd choice would be Al, but make sure water can not build up under the AL tank. That water can drain to the pumps. With a plastic tank, you can add tank/fill sensors that do better than a float sensor. Some are NMEA2k for connecting it to you GPS/MFD.

 

[Denny]

Sounds like they got a hold of a bad batch of gas tanks. I still would call Chap to see what they have to say about it.It might be possible that they are handling each issue separately. The worst they can say is no, never hurts to ask.

 

[Iggy]

I agree. My friend had the same problem. Chap give him a new tank, but the install was on him. I dont remember the year of his boat. But that was 10 years ago.

 

[ChessieBay]

Sounds like they got a hold of a bad batch of gas tanks. I still would call Chap to see what they have to say about it.It might be possible that they are handling each issue separately. The worst they can say is no, never hurts to ask.

My marina spoke with Chaparral

Years ago I had a gasoline issue on my 9 yr old Chap. It was a manufacturing issue, and they offered to help out with some of the cost. Your girl is 20 yrs old, it might be worth a call to Chap. But I think that you need to find out if it is the fault of the product or the installation first. Either way you need to decide If it is worth the cost and time without her to you to have the repairs done, and you need to have someone that has the experience of doing this type of work. This is going to be a major operation. Not so much in the tearing apart everything to do the work, but putting everything back together as if it were never taken apart. My issue was in and open area, but still it was a dirty mess.
Good luck, please keep us in the loop.

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thank you Denny. The marina spoke With Chaparral and their advice was to “abandon the offending tank in place and relocate fuel to the engine room”. I hate that idea because moving that much weight several feet towards the stern will just make getting out of the hole even harder. Besides I can barely move down there as it is - where in the world would they have me put a tank 2X the size of the water tank?
I saw a post on a Facebook Chaparral page by someone who cut out the old 175 gal tank and replaced it with two 80 gal tanks. I’m asking the marina to explore this option as a way of keeping the weight beneath the mid cabin, where it belongs. In any event, I want to diagnose the cause of the leak. I’ll keep y’all posted.

 

[Iggy]

Just a though. I have heard stories like this one. In some cases, they cut a hole in the old tank and inserted a rubber bladder tank.

Like this one https://atlinc.com/custom-fuelocker-marine-fuel-bladders.html

On the 290 I had, there was about 20 to 25% of the tank in the engine compartment. So this would have been an easy job. On a 330, I am not sure. But this would be better than ripping the old tank out. You just need to make a hole big enough to insert the bladder.

 

[Denny]

I think that moving the tank back would change the whole attitude and balance of the boat, even when she is at rest.
Don't know why, but Chap put that tank there for a reason, maybe just because they had nowhere else to put it.
They do that a lot in the auto industry.

 

[ChessieBay]

This is well known problem with the Sig 330 model. I had an Sig 290 for 8 years, all good. I would look at a plastic tank for a replacement. My 2nd choice would be Al, but make sure water can not build up under the AL tank. That water can drain to the pumps. With a plastic tank, you can add tank/fill sensors that do better than a float sensor. Some are NMEA2k for connecting it to you GPS/MFD.

Thanks, Iggy. Do you know for a fact the 330 Sig has a documented problem with failing gas tank? I would appreciate a source I can use to hold Chappy’s feet to the fire.
My mechanic explained that due to the size of the tank (the boat was built around it) and there is NO WAY to get the old one out or a new one in except (get this) pull both engines, the water tank and the engine hatch, cut away the bulkhead to the mid-cabin, remove the floor, and slide the tank out thru the engine room. Slide a new tank in and put it back together. He has replaced Chaparral gas tanks before, but on smaller models. This job is shaping up to cost more than the boat is worth . Thanks a lot Chaparral

 

[ChessieBay]

Years ago I had a gasoline issue on my 9 yr old Chap. It was a manufacturing issue, and they offered to help out with some of the cost. Your girl is 20 yrs old, it might be worth a call to Chap. But I think that you need to find out if it is the fault of the product or the installation first. Either way you need to decide If it is worth the cost and time without her to you to have the repairs done, and you need to have someone that has the experience of doing this type of work. This is going to be a major operation. Not so much in the tearing apart everything to do the work, but putting everything back together as if it were never taken apart. My issue was in and open area, but still it was a dirty mess.
Good luck, please keep us in the loop.

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I’m grateful to everyone who has weighed in on this problem. Until the gas tank is out of the boat we have no way to know the cause or extent of the problem. My mechanic even suggested he could weld and seal a new bottom on the original tank. But to get it out requires open heart surgery. Chaparral has not been very helpful, except to suggest a process to remove the tank after removing both engines. This may just be more than the old girl can handle or bear. I’m seriously considering how to dispose of her with all systems in good working order - except one little thing …

 

[Denny]

It sounds like you have 3 options: 1 if she is a love item, then you bite the bullet and do the open heart surgery. 2 Part her out yourself. 3 Sell her as is to someone who does salvage work for resale, or sell her to a boat salvage yard. I used to rebuild totals when I was in the automotive trade. Maybe you were meant to part company, maybe not, time will tell. The positive thing is you found the issue, before something worse might have happened. Good luck with your decision, please keep us posted.

 

[ChessieBay]

Yesterday I concluded it was not worth $35,000 to replace the gas tank. After all the cutting of structural components required to take the tank out thru the engine hatch and replace /rebuild bulkheads, floors and stringers, the boat would be never be the same again. I would be worried about her breaking apart with every wake we crossed.
I am near Annapolis on the Chesapeake and want to get her out of the marina yard and sold, ideally, to a salvage company to be parted out. I can provide specifics to anyone who might be interested about systems and maintenance.
Chaparral has been a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT after building the boat around an unserviceable gas tank that failed long before its time. She’s a 2006 330 Signature and deserves better than to cut into scrap.

 

[Denny]

Though very sad, it is a smart decision on your part, (peace of mind).

 

[Iggy]

I do NOT know of any Docs on this problem. I just remember though the years, reading post from other boaters. This was from the old site and a friend that had one.

I would look into the bladder. It would be a lot cheaper way to go. You looking at $1,000 to $2,000 for the bladder. Than install, if you can get just to a portion of the tank to cut into it. I don't see it going over $2k for the glass work and new hoses. Even at 10k, its far shorter than 35K!

You can most likely do the install yourself. The big thing is, to rinse the tank out before cutting.

No matter what, if you don't fix it. The value/loss is gone. If you fix it, grated there is a cost but you will get that back. If your boat was fixed, it would sell for, between 45 to70K. Priced are from Yacht World.

 

[Denny]

That sounds like a doable idea, my only concern would be the gas that is still in the contaminated foam and the odour.