Click for YF Listing Service Click for Northern Lights Click for Comfort Click for Burger Click for Westport

1997 Cabo FB water tank access?

Discussion in 'Cabo Yacht' started by Stormy Seas, Apr 26, 2012.

You need to be registered and signed in to view this content.
  1. Stormy Seas

    Stormy Seas New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Mystic, CT
    I recently bought a 1997 Cabo Flybridge Sportfisherman, which has a 110 gallon water tank. but I cannot locate it. I want to install a tank level monitor and am looking for the top of the tank. Cabo thought it was under the cabin sole near the stairs, and that there is access to the tank top. They do not have a detail schematic to indicate tank access, but are quite sure there is tank access whereever the tank is. I've checked the recommended locations and am coming up empty. All other pumps, tanks, seacocks, etc. are well accessed and well marked.

    If someone has had a similar experience trying to locate the tank, I would appreciate your reply.

    Thank you.

    Stormy seas
  2. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    I'm guessing you have a 43' based upon the gallonage. It's been a while since I've been on one of those, BUT, the access to the water tank should be under the salon floor panel foward, in the companionway, near the foward stateroom door. I think it is aft of the hatch opening....... Yes, you can always access the top of all tanks on all Cabo's to change the senders or a hose or whatnot.
  3. Yachtjocky

    Yachtjocky Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    Messages:
    365
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    tank

    your model would certainly help as even 35's, 43's 45's and 45/47's are all reported to have abut 100 gallon of water.

    Try below the companionway steps, there is a hatch in the teak and holly and then another hatch below that for access to the water tank.

    or

    open up the area below the aft sofa in the salon and there is a hatch in the inboard corner

    or

    I think in the 35 convertible it is forward in the engine room

    or

    all else failing, go completely quite onboard and then start filling the tank and listen carefully to locate it.
  4. Stormy Seas

    Stormy Seas New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Mystic, CT
    Clarification - 35' FB Convertible

    My apologies. I have a model 35' Flybridge with specs for 110 gal water tank.

    The hatch in the companionway, aft of the stateroom door, provides access to the forward bilge pump. There is no access hatch forward of that one, and no other hatch in the bilge area. The tank is not under the forward berth.

    Of the 2 companionway stairs, the bottom stair is fixed. The top stair is hinged for storage access. The teak and holley extends under the stairs. I don't see a hatch or a break in the teak and holley to access anything in the stair compartment. Maybe I'll try removing the stairs, for a better look at whats under the fixed stair.

    I'll also look for a hatch under the port bunk in the second stateroom. Its difficult to follow the starboard midship deck fill hose, but emptying the tank and listening for the fill should help.

    I appreciate your quick replies. Your thoughts that there must be top tank access is good news. It, therefore has to be somewhere. I'll post the results of the Cabo dissection on Monday.
  5. MBY

    MBY Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2009
    Messages:
    98
    Location:
    Newport Beach, CA
    Stormy Seas, from what I remember from the factory the water tank was amidship. It wouldn't be forward of the companionway stairs leading forward towards the stateroom. I think Jachtjocky is right about the tank being forward in the engine room but I can't remember.

    I will ask my dad and also call our former plant manager Stan for you. Between those two I will try and get a definitive answer. I attached a picture of hull number 1, the box you see centerline should be on top of the water tank. Don't quote me on this as I was a youngster and don't remember the exact position but I believe that was where the water tank was.

    Barrett

    Attached Files:

  6. Stormy Seas

    Stormy Seas New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Mystic, CT
    Captain cabo,

    Thank you for the pic. The forward fuel tank is accessed by the teak and holly cabin access plate square in the middle of the salon. If the water tank is forward of the engine room, then it should be aft of the forward fuel tank. The salon hatch aft of the fuel tank access is for engine room access. I will check again for an access hatch in there.

    If the box in the picture is marking the top of the tank, it would seem much smaller than 100+ gallon capacity, but sometimes that is hard to judge.

    Thanks to all. I'm a newbie here and am very impressed with timing of all your replies. This is one very active forum. I owe somebody a reply to something when its my turn.
  7. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Are you SURE you are talking about the same boat here?????? The 35' Cabo had 1- 400 gallon fuel tank underneath the cockpit sole just foward of the lazzarette deck hatch but in the cockpit. I've run about 30 of them over the years this I am positive of.......Cabo didn't get into 2 fuel tanks until the 43' and larger.

    The fuel tank you are referring to as the foward fuel tank should be your water tank. If you do not have a fuel transfer pump, which you shouldn't, then you don't have a foward fuel tank. The watertanks on the Cabo are fiberglass, glassed in with the rest of the boat. The waste tank should be a plastic tank. Follow the water fill inside the boat, the tank should be midship, parallel to the water fill.

    The box shown in the picture is what the batteries are mounted underneath of, or inside of rather.
  8. Yachtjocky

    Yachtjocky Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    Messages:
    365
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    tanks

    Pushing the old brain cells here but I do have pape record of a 1996 Cabo 35 convertible with two fuel tanks for a total capacity of 425 gallons and one water tank of 110 gallon.

    I then have a record of a 2001 Cabo 35 Convertible with a single fuel tank of 400 gallons and a single water tank of 100 gallons.

    I do have a photograth showing the two battery boxes between the main engines just inboard of the forward engine mounts which would go along with the above photo graphgraph showing hull # 1 being built.

    I also have a photo graph showing blue fuel hoses going forward and up into what appears to be a fuel tank above the forward fresh water tank.

    I believe the battery charger is forward to starboard with the water pump and the water heater aft of that all to starbaord and accessed by lifting the salon deck hatch inboard of the starboard sofa and forward of the starboard engine hatch which is below the aft starboard seat.

    The air conditioning unit(s) and sea water pump are to port and accessed through the deck hatch inboard of the galley.

    I think the box you are thinking of C. J. are on the later model 40 & above boats where you have 5 or sometimes six group 27 batteries in a vented box forward on the centerline with a bilge pump below them behind another access hatch.

    Anyway, try tracing the water lines from the starbaord mounted fresh water pump to the tank.
  9. Stormy Seas

    Stormy Seas New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Mystic, CT
    Water tank mystery solved.

    The water tank on my 1997 35 FB Cabo is a 110 gallon fiberglassed in tank that is molded in forward of the forward fuel tank, and aft of the companionway steps, staddling the centerline. It is about 1 foot long, and 2 feet high.

    There is no access hatch to the top of the tank. To access the tank, I would crawl inside the hatch supporting one table leg next to the sofa. Once inside the starboard hull side, there is immediate access to the hot water tank. Forward is the waste holding tank. Continuing forward the water pump is mounted on a bulkhead wall, to port is the vacuflush pump, and further to port is the fresh water tank. There is 5 inches of space above the tank and below the salon sole. If an access hatch were to have been installed, it would have been centerline in the main salon floor, right in front of the stairs, prior to stepping down to the forward berth.

    An access hatch anywhere inside of the forward end of the sofa would miss the top of the tank. That hole would be too far to starboard.

    The 1997 Cabo has 2 starboard deck fuel fills and 2 fuel tanks, 200 gal and 225 gallons. The forward tank is below the cabin sole, aft of the water tank and forward of the engine room. The second fuel tank is aft of the engines and aft of the bulkhead supporting the battery switches, and is forward of the generator. I do not need to transfer fuel.

    Port access in the salon sole is for the A/C, battery charger, and oil change.

    The above is a bit detailed, but is offerred for someone else who might be asking the same question of this year and model in the future. The real thanks goes to all of you who responded with all the ideas.

    It is much appreciated. Thank you.
  10. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    I haven't been on a 35 Cabo FB of your vintage, but it's interesting how they did things. They must run the 1 engine and gen off of the 225 gallon tank and the other engine off of the 200 gallon tank. I've run a ton of 35' Cabo expresses, but only 2 35' FB boats, both in the 2000's.
  11. Stormy Seas

    Stormy Seas New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Mystic, CT
    I believe that is correct. I haven't seen fuel valves to alter the fuel flow from each tank. In the 2000 model year, when they changed the hull to accept a softer, drier, entrance in a head sea, maybe they changed to a single 400 gal. tank below the cockpit, to shift some of the weight aft, and keep the bow up.
  12. destinsurvey

    destinsurvey New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2019
    Messages:
    1
    Location:
    Destin, FL
    Today I surveyed a '96 Cabo 35'. It had two fuel tanks, one forward in the engine compartment, and a fuel transfer pump. I have found water tanks on Cabo's located in all kinds of places, I don't think they were standard installations. The water tank on today's boat was to port side behind the drawers in the galley cabinets.