Hello everyone, I’m a new BCC owner and this is my first post. I’m currently in a boatyard refit with a looming departure deadline, and I am decommissioning the entire freshwater system due to contaminated and corroded stainless steel tanks.
I am finalising specifications for two Ronco B337 (22gal) tanks. My primary concern is the plumbing bridge between them:
Compartment Length: 75 inches (Bulkhead to Mast Step).
Total Tank Length: 72 inches (2 x 36").
Net Gap: 3 inches total.
Looking at standard BCC diagrams, the 1.5” sleeves are in-line. However, I don’t see how it’s possible to bridge a 3-inch gap with 1.5" hose and barbs.
My proposed solution: Order the tanks with staggered/offset sleeves (e.g., Port-Aft on Tank 1, Starboard-Forward on Tank 2) and run a reinforced hose diagonally using 90° Spears barbs.
Has anyone successfully bridged these tanks in a 3-inch gap using the “in-line” method?
Does anyone have photos or specs for a “Diagonal Bridge” setup they’ve used in this bilge?
I need to submit this order to Ronco by tomorrow to make my launch window. Any insights or “as-built” photos would be a massive help.
This can all be done in the water so Id sloe down and do it right. Silly question but can you not clean the two tanks? 44 gallons wouldn’t last long, you should have close to 75. Sorry I can’t help with this but id focus on a safe launch and do this dockside.
Hi Benji - Mischief (#67 / 1983) has 2 stainless steel tanks. One long tank on top of the lead, and one deep one aft of the lead in the deep bilge. I’m not aware of factory finished boats having 2 tanks on top of the lead - but SLM may certainly have done that with newer boats. If I were in your shoes, I’d make doubly sure Ronco does not a make a longer tank that will fit in the space on top of the lead - so as to avoid installing 2 tanks on top of the lead. I think that configuration would have more capacity. If I were really stuck installing two 22 gal tanks there, I think I would NOT interconnect the tanks, but rather treat them as separate tanks and run the hoses aft to the manifold under the galley floor - and build a new valving manifold to accommodate 3 tanks.
I see this old post from Roger (previous owner of SLM) where he says they did switch from SS to Ronco in 1991 - and he does discuss using two 22 gal Ronco tanks connected together. If the connection was 1-1/2", maybe they just used a short nipple and mated the tanks together before installation. That seems frought with the danger of damage stressing the tank fittings during installation. I don’t think the interconnect needs to be 1-1/2" - that seems over kill. 1/2" or 3/4" would be good enough. The interconnect could then be by hose connecting 90 degree barbs mounted on opposing (port/sb) corners of tanks.
And there’s this diagram of those Ronco 22 gal tanks from the BCC Build Manual. The diagram shows a pair of recessed spaces for 1-1/2" nipples that are used to interconnect the two tanks. Given this space is inaccessible once the tanks are dropped in the bilge, I expect the yard preassemble the pair (installing the 1-1/2" interconnect hoses and hose clamps) and then dropped the assembly into the bilge as a unit.
I would verify that Ronco actually still builds this tank with those recesses. The diagram on the Ronco site shows them - but I’d still check with them.
Dear all, thanks so much for your feedback. Sorry for the delay in responding. I’m at an every-hour-counts type moment. But bear with me because I’m going to be throwing more questions your way.
The diagrams are confusing because they’re describing two different units on a single diagram. I did eventually realise that it’s not an exterior fitting but an inset sleeve (tube). So I know now that no gap is required (as in Bil’s pics), but I’m still confused about the vents. I understand that there is a vent on the aft face of the aft tank (B) and on the forward face of the forward tank (A). The vent that’s on the top face, left edge, I assume, only goes on tank A, or is that just a second option to choose from, because that would mean there are two vents on tank A? I’m not an engineer, but I’m assuming that you need a vent on either side of the tank system so there’s always one open during heave and pitch. Now I’m looking at the pictures in this thread, I can see there is no top vent on tank A, so that is helpful. I’ll remove that from the order. Thanks for the help, guys! Both tanks are listed in the current catalogue.
In terms of timing, yes, I am only working on launch-critical items, but this one I really need to order because I have to leave the US by April 28. All the plumbing and everything else I can deal with later.
