The FAQ and discussion below has been mildly edited to eliminate typos, make it clearer who the authors are and which boats they themselves have (by hull number and boat name if known). Wherever possible alternative (i.e. current) references to products & suppliers are provided.
The bulk of this FAQ was originally generated as a Q&A in the period 2005 – 2015. In this period Lester Helmus acted as a clearing house for questions and responses, but some respondents would also write direct to each other, hence some of the overlapping answers you see in the FAQ. In places there are 2019 and subsequent comments, drawing either on my own experiences, or from other Corbin 39 owners and sources, including our Corbin 39 Group on Facebook. More comments are most welcome and this FAQ will inevitably grow.
We have attempted to contact all contributors to the 2015 version of the FAQ. All responses have been most supportive, thank you. If you are a contributor who has yet to respond please contact us.
As will be apparent there are multiple viewpoints on some topics. Sometimes, but not always, this can be traced to differences in arrangement between the boats of the various authors. Some of the topics raised are not so much a Q&A, as simply being a statement of why a particular owner thought something was a good idea, which of course it may not have been at all. Make your own mind up.
If you have further comments or suggestions on any of these questions, or wish to pose new questions, or describe various issues you have faced and/or overcome, then please contact us either via the Facebook Group or via the Website.
[Remark as of November 2019: Quite a lot of the links to drawings & photos are not yet reinstated due to workload. However I also know quite a few of the relevant images have gone astray. You may find the relevant photos in the individual boat’s entry. Please email us if you have any of the missing photos, drawings, etc.]
It is stainless and has developed a leak. My hope is that the tank is standard for Corbins and that there is a company that makes a plastic replacement. I have read that plastic is the best choice for sewage. The tank is located under the berth, more or less built in, sort of wedge designed and maybe a bit of a parallelogram. Any advice is very much appreciated. Take care, Gene S. (#158, Swell Dish).
a. Gene, in response to your mail to Lester, I respectfully submit my experience with the Waste Tank. Somehow I don’t think it’s a standard fit. I replaced my tank in its entirety with a stainless, reason being that I easily pulled the old one out through the forward hatch and had a model for a new one. I had the new one made out of heavier gauge stainless, c/w baffles, extra welds in all the seams & corners etc. and enlarged it a bit as well. BTW, I did look into a plastic and bladder type of tank but it just did not work for me as I felt that a stainless tank would be less prone to collapse during a pump out. (That’s how my original tank failed in the first place). Here is a mistake I made: When installing the new tank, I sealed it in place with “expanding foam” which worked very well, but I should have wrapped the tank in plastic first and then foamed it in place. This would have made future removal very easy and may have given the new tank that extra seal in event of a leak ….. Just a few thoughts, good luck with the project. Frank B. s/v #186, Visitant.
b. I have a holding tank under the forward cabin, on the centre line, and another one under my port, aft cabin. Both were custom made by me of fibreglass. First, I made a mold using Masonite/Hardboard for the flat panels with softwood lumber for the edges and corners. Then I painted it with polyester resin to seal it. Next, I polished the mold with paste wax, 2 or 3 coats. After this hardened, I applied a mold release agent. Then, the tank was laid with 3 layers of fiberglass, alternating matt/roving/matt, of suitable weights. I believe I used 1&1/2oz matt and 24 oz roving (the specification weights apply to different areas!). See Holding Tank (without lid). Note the interior anti-sloshing baffle. I made the lid of the tank separately and bonded it to the top of the main tank. Finally, I installed a cleanout hatch, an inlet, an outlet, and vents. You may want to have a method of gauging. I originally used oil tank float level gauges but they always corrode. Now, I have to check the level by opening the cleanout (ugh!) and looking in with a flashlight. David S., s/v #050, Opportunity.
