# Marquesa replacement tank



## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

I've got a buddy that needs a replacement tank for his Marquesa - anyone know where Hells Bay is getting their replacement tanks? Will they fit through the hatch?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I don’t know but Boyd’s Custom Welding does mainly custom fuel tanks and did some work for me and I was very impressed. Call them if nothing else pans out.


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## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

Hoping to find a vendor already building these to speed the process but if not I will try Boyd's.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

EvanHammer said:


> Hoping to find a vendor already building these to speed the process but if not I will try Boyd's.


Florida Marine Tanks. Unless the skiff is custom, FMT will have the specs for all the year models of HB including the all important mounting tabs.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Might advise your buddy to call HB and ask.


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

Please share what you find out. The tank in my 05 Marquesa looks good but it’s an 05 and there is some minor corrosion on the tabs that attach to the hull. But I agree with DuckNut, I’d start with Hells Bay.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

HB fuel tank provider since 2016.


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

EvanHammer said:


> I've got a buddy that needs a replacement tank for his Marquesa - anyone know where Hells Bay is getting their replacement tanks? Will they fit through the hatch?


have you and your “buddy” tried calling HB yet to ask them?


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## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

TidewateR said:


> have you and your “buddy” tried calling HB yet to ask them?


His other "buddy" told him the tank is fine since it's powdercoated so he'll just run it as-is!


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## Baydreamer35 (Oct 17, 2014)

DuckNut said:


> Might advise your buddy to call HB and ask.


eVanHaMmeR's buddy called HB. Easy fix. "We do this all the time"  In the meantime He put in a 12 gallon red tank to get by until he can make the 16 hour round trip journey. Logistics is half the battle, Money is the other half :$


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## HPXFLY (Aug 27, 2015)

Hellsbay did mine on my whip, easy and way cheaper than anyone else. If it doesnt fit out the hatch they cut the tank in half and get it out.. and yea they do a fair amount of them i guess, old method of installing tanks back in early 2000s lets moisture/salt get under the tank and eventually creates a small pin hole leak.. This isnt excluvie to HB either, Contender, Seavee, Yellowfin a bunch of other high end builders have it happen as well.. Got to remember its 2019 so many early HB tanks are pushing 20 years old.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Baydreamer35 said:


> eVanHaMmeR's buddy called HB. Easy fix. "We do this all the time"  In the meantime He put in a 12 gallon red tank to get by until he can make the 16 hour round trip journey. Logistics is half the battle, Money is the other half :$


That is a huge piece of the story that was missing. At $10 an hour that is half the cost of the tank. If this is one way just the driving time is just about the cost of the repair. Had I known this I would have said to find a local shop.

"We do this all the time" - I agree


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

EvanHammer said:


> His other "buddy" told him the tank is fine since it's powdercoated so he'll just run it as-is!


So what would prompt you to ask this question from your friend- I mean if he smells gas he should know he can't run as is? Or is he being proactive knowing there will eventually be a hole in it?


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

Baydreamer35 said:


> eVanHaMmeR's buddy called HB.


You guys are ON IT!! Also welcome to microskiff bay dreamer. I’ll have a frozen old fashion. Thanks chief


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## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

DuckNut said:


> So what would prompt you to ask this question from your friend- I mean if he smells gas he should know he can't run as is? Or is he being proactive knowing there will eventually be a hole in it?


He's got a legit leak and he knows it - the comment to Tidewater about it being okay was me ribbing TW... it just carried over from the group text. Sorry for any confusion it caused.

He called HB to see about getting it fixed, I was just curious if anyone knew where to source the tank so he had the option of getting it fixed locally. As he noted he's 8 hours from Titusville; so dropping the boat off is 16 hours round-trip and picking it up two weeks later is another 16 hours round-trip.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

EvanHammer said:


> He's got a legit leak and he knows it - the comment to Tidewater about it being okay was me ribbing TW... it just carried over from the group text. Sorry for any confusion it caused.
> 
> He called HB to see about getting it fixed, I was just curious if anyone knew where to source the tank so he had the option of getting it fixed locally. As he noted he's 8 hours from Titusville; so dropping the boat off is 16 hours round-trip and picking it up two weeks later is another 16 hours round-trip.


No issues and thanks for the clarification.

32 hours of driving I would be looking for someone local.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I had to replace my tank on my boat. They put a copper supply tube on the aluminum tank. When saltwater got in holes resulted. We took the tank out the floor of my front hatch. Now i have an aluminum supply tube on an aluminum tank. I am surprised HB has that problem. Seems if they do should be warranty work


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Aluminum will last a long, long time. But not as long if you paint them, foam in place, or have inadequate exposure to air.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

DuckNut said:


> No issues and thanks for the clarification.
> 
> 32 hours of driving I would be looking for someone local.


Boyd’s Welding fabbed sponsons for a boat I had a few years ago and shipped to Texas for $50. 32 hours of driving, I’d be looking at installing the tank my self or having a local shop do it all. It’s not rocket science but if the tank was installed before the cap and it won’t come out of the hatch it’s a little more involved for sure.


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

DuckNut said:


> Aluminum will last a long, long time. But not as long if you paint them, foam in place, or have inadequate exposure to air.


Aluminum fuel tanks should be solvent cleaned, scuff sanded, cleaned again, chemically etch primes and coated in either interprotect 2000e or a coal tar epoxy. DO NOT skip the chemical etch prime step ! NOTHING will properly adhere to aluminum, without an etch prime.

Bare aluminum will corrode...

Foaming a fuel tank isn’t a good idea - traps moisture around tank, greatly reducing the life span 

Tanks should be sitting on starboard strips, this will avoid “crevice corrosion”

DO NOT use rubber / neoprene strips - these will hold moisture against the aluminum...

Be cautious when purchasing a tank - lots of mfgs use a cheap grey paint and sell it as an epoxy coating

Powder coating isn’t a good protector


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

predacious said:


> Powder coating isn’t a good protector


@Baydreamer35 @EvanHammer and whomstever tells you otherwise is an absolute moron


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

bedliner coatings are way better


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Once you scratch any coating on aluminum it will begin to eat away underneath like cancer. The BARE aluminum tank in my Maverick is the original and almost 20 years old with not a leak to be sniffed. It’s all about the aluminum used and how it’s mounted.
I’ve seen first hand brand new powdercoated accessories that are bubbled up and flaking in a matter of months. It’s usually around the stainless fasteners and I have found that using TefGel on the fasteners kills the corrosion before it starts but if it gets knicked you better fix it quickly or it will start there.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

TidewateR said:


> @Baydreamer35 @EvanHammer and whomstever tells you otherwise is an absolute moron


We’re all morons!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

TidewateR said:


> @Baydreamer35 @EvanHammer and whomstever tells you otherwise is an absolute moron


@predacious and @Smackdaddy53 are exactly right on powdercoating.

The bare tanks last a long time and as predacious said there are some methods that may prolong its life.


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