I discovered my hot water tank finally died this past winter, probably becuase I did not properly winterize it. I normally drain the tank and that has worked since I owned the boat, however not this year. So off to West Marine to locate a new hot water tank. I brought it back to the boat and discovered it would not fit in the cockpit locker. The tank was an half inch too wide. But I am getting ahead of myself. I should have realized I was in trouble when I tried removing the old water tank. That one would not fit through the locker either. So in order to remove the old water tank I had to "reshape" it using a 5 lb. sledge hammer. This is when I realized the boat deck was put on after the water tank, engine and of course fuel tank were already in place. This is my only complaint about my Aloha; access is sometime difficult. Now that I had the (originally selected - square) new water tank unpacked and ready to be installed, I repacked it and returned it for one that would fit, which by the way is a $300 difference. The unit that I selected was an Isotemp Square Slim. The unit is very nice, easy to install, etc.

Bill Fleming
Valkyrie
Aloha 32
Tuscarora Yacht Club, Wilson, New York

Click on the images to enlarge.

	This is the original heater after several attempts to remove it through the existing locker. As I mention I had to use a sledge hammer (results below) in order to remove it from the locker.
	The new unit, neatly installed and working properly. I had first installed a piece of 5/8" plywood to the existing "bulkhead" by thorough bolting it securely in place. I then mounted the water tank to the plywood. This unit had a regular 110v plug as opposed to the old unit which was directly hardwired. As you can see I installed an outlet directly above the water heater. The manufacturer recommends unplugging the unit when away for long periods because of grounding issues  (?), that probably does not pertain to us in North America. These units are international and come with several different types of power options. That is a guess only on my part. The other benefit is I now have an outlet available inside the locker. The first thing I did was install a florescent light that was in my garage for 15 years (not being used) and installed it in the locker for additional lighting while plugged in to shore power. It is awesome having a well lit locker. I suppose a 12 volt unit would be better, but for now this will work.
Now the next issue... I want to organize my locker space. I will be replacing my old refrigeration system (eventually) and would like to install the compressor for that unit in the locker, above and outboard of the water tank. For those of you who have crawled in this locker, there is a large amount of unused space down there. I have seen (somewhere) an Adler Barbour Cold Machine installed on a shelve in there. I need to learn more about using the West System to install mounts (wooden braces) in which I could then secure a shelving unit, preferable something that could be removed when needed. Does anyone have any suggestions or photos of a well organized cockpit locker?   This is a brief overview and I could go into more detail, however I think it gives pretty good idea of the project. If you have any questions please be sure to contact me at bill239@gmail.com

Last updated  31 May, 2007 - © Aloha Owners Association