Sea Sprite 28

You can see why it was a good idea to replace the the old fiberglass fuel tank. It didn't leak much, but the leak was bad enough to cause a diesel smell throughout the boat.

Getting the tank out wasn't easy -- it was fiberglassed in on all four sides -- but I managed thanks in part to my Rotozip tool. Notice the exhaust hose on the top of the tank. It was so brittle, I was able to punch holes in it with my thumb.

I decided to replace the tank with an 11.5-gallon tank by Tempo. It's a little smaller than the original, but not much.

I built the new platform out of 3/4-in marine-grade plywood. Here, I've just fiberglassed in the vertical piece.

One of the things I like about the SS 28 is that there is excellent access to the fuel tank, prop shaft, and engine.

I screwed the top piece to the three side pieces, then fiberglassed it it place.

Like the old tank, the platform is fiberglassed in on four sides.

I added another layer of fiberglass to the front of the platform. This layer went over the platform's top and, along the hull, extends beyond the first layer.

For all of my fiberglassing projects I used epoxy resin.

To make it look pretty, I painted my work with Interlux's Bilgekote.

The Tempo tank didn't flat enough to allow the metal hold-downs to reach the platform top, so I added four shims.

Here's the tank, snug in its new home.

Getting the fuel fill line attached to the tank took some problem solving. This solution works -- at least it did through its first season of sailing.

A wider view. Notice the new exhaust hose.

I also replaced the old plastic fuel fill with this new stainless steel one.