Bulkhead Between Gas Tank And Cabin

[jitts3]

We are working on our 73 SRV 240. Restoration thread here. http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/64710-1973-SRV-240-Repower-Restoration-Moving-Forward-Again

We removed the carpet in the cabin and looked around under the step to get in the cabin. It was just a piece of plywood with no glass. Under that I found a hole built in for access for the step down pump. Though we have been heating the boat for days, that hole is frozen over still. I have the heater blowing dirrectly on it now. But here is what I find odd. The purpose of the step down pump is to remove water from under the cabin as it cannot drain into the bilge directly. This is because they want a solid bulkhead separating the cabin from the gas tank so it leaks, no gas or vapors enter the cabin. But where is my bulkhead? Note the crappy glass work against gas tank. The green hose is the fresh water supply and pump from the fresh tank to the galley sink.



But you see the hole for the step down pump (in ice) Where was the bulkhead? Or was there ever one to start with?



Another shot to put in perspective.



We will be eventually replacing the deck and stringers as she has rot from the transom up to the cabin. I get good wood just past that crappy step. I am having a tough time believing Sea Ray didn't put a bulkhead there. What did the butcher previous owner do here?

 

[jitts3]

It turns out the sump is si.ply a sump for everything above the cabin floor. Thefloor Iis co.pletly sealed from the bilge below. The weep holes to drain the anchor llocker and the elevated head floor drain onto the cabin floor. The sump is for the step down pump to remove that water. There is still supposed to be a bulkhead in front of the gas tank. It probably was where some butcher added some glass matt. Looks like foam in front of and under the tank. When I am done, that's where it will be.





Weep hole under V birth from anchor locker.



I am posting this even though it is duplicated in my restoration thread to give somebody with this specific issue an easier time finding out the solution. The link for that is in the first post so anybody can see how it fits in the overall scheme of things.

 

[Lazy Daze]

You've got 40 years worth of previous owner's efforts at hand here. Maybe someone replaced the tank along the way and never put the bulkhead back in. Maybe someone saw that the bulkhead was rotting and decided to remove, not knowing the safety implications. Who knows... but you'll probably run into more of this kind of thing along the way. Heck, the previous owner of my boat installed an extra AC outlet in the cabin and used solid wire... he was/is a home builder.