In article ,
says...
I'm considering the purchase of a 1981 GB49 trawler and have noticed
that some GBs of this vintage have had fuel tanks replaced. Does
anyone know if this is a common issue, or what the average tank
longevity is? I assume some major structural work has to be done to
replace the tanks.

Are there any other known issues with GBs of that vintage?


Yes, it is an issue. Salt water can intrude around the fuel tank deck fittings and land on
the top of the tanks and cause corrosion. Replacing the tanks is a huge deal as they need to
be cut up and taken out through the salon sole. Other potential issues are leaking teak decks
and leaking windows with rot possible. The hulls are pretty good but the bottoms need to be
checked for blisters. You will probably need to paint the boat as gelcoat rarely looks great
for more than 20 years. This is expensive but reduces the need for frequent waxing as you
would on gelcoat.

Go to www.oya.com and look at the grand banks forum under maintainence. It's a great source.

Having said all that, the boats are great sea boats, especially a 49 (better if stabilized, of
course). And a joy to cruise or live aboard.

pg
GB 46-220