[Scott]

My initial reaction when I first saw the bottom of the coffin area was that there wasn’t a plywood deck in my hull. I could see what looked like the outline of the center stringer (see the top portion of my first photo), so I assumed the dark area was probably solid resin/glass.

I don’t think they would make a solid fiberglass deck but who knows … Are you sure its the outline of the stringer ? look at the photo , I have that too. That was from the neoprene that was under the tank … three strips the length of the tank. They left that line in the deck.

Are you guys thinking that the outer edges of the dark area may be the limits of the feathered edge of the ply deck? If so, I’ll drill some holes near the centerline to see what I actually have down there.

Not sure what you mean here . In our boats(23’s) the plywood core/deck went all the way to the box stringers. Glass was laid over the top and tabbed up the stringer. There were several layers in the transition from stringer to deck. That did give the deck a different look (heavier glass in the inside corner )

I’m pretty sure I will be getting a new tank. So far, I’ve talked to Kentfab (local, in my area) and Atlantic Coastal in NJ. AC is suggesting that I 5200 small patches of polyethylene to the bottom of the tank, foam the tank in only at the corners, and don’t use mechanical fasteners with welded angles along the top of the tank. Doesn’t seem like enough to hold the tank securely in place.

Another builder to consider is www.sptanks.com they have a link that suggests how to install a new tank. These guys are just north of AC tanks and build a good deal of tanks ( they build for many new boat manufacturers also) …many member here have their tanks.

In an earlier post, I asked about the feasibility of adding bulkheads at either end of the tank coffin area; any comments on that idea?

After seeing what foam that was wet did to my tank, I personally don’t want any foam holding it in.
Bulkheads would work.