Wellcraft Boat Owners Forum

Have a 1996 260 Excel. Winterized last fall with the pink stuff. This spring went to pump out pink stuff and nothing. long story short, it appears as though the fresh water tank froze and has a hole. Will not hold water. ugh! It is in the most god awful location. Has anyone gone through the hassle of removing and replacing the tank. It has the VacuFlush head mechanism forward of the black water tank and the fresh water tank. Can't even see where the hose comes out of the tank! How tough is it to remove this whole mess to get at the tank? Anyone done it?

I had the same problem. I was using bleach tablets to purify the drinking water and I think that did it in. I just abandoned the tank in place and installed a new 20 gallon tank under the vee berth.

What type of tank did you install? How did you route the hose to the pump? Do you fill the tank in place? Thinking that is a good idea. Just need some moral support and knowledge.
Thanks

I used a rigid polyethelyne tank. So the first consideration is will it fit through the opening under the vee berth? So I made test one out of a cardboard box. Then I made a platform with shallow sides for it out of marine plywood. I ran new hoses from the existing deck fill and the water pressure pump. They could go through the bilge if you have no other option. I ran a new vent line to the side of the boat as that cannot have any sags in it.
So I went from a 40 gallon to a 20 gallon tank. The new tank is easier to drain and flush and the smaller size forces me to keep refilling with fresh water.

Thanks. I will have to study the potential. Given all the work I might just rip apart the current system and seal up the leaking tank As boating season is almost over here in Wisconsin I will have all winter to work on it.

Keep in mind that your 26 has a lot less displacement than a 32' st tropez, putting a a tank anywhere than where they had it might change the way it sits in the water, the way it rides and the way it handles

Yup I have noticed that. I downsized from a 32 foot semi-displacement boat to this planing hull. people move around the boat and it changes heading. So be it.

With the engine out its a pc of cake