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The OEM fuel tank in the 10M was usually a cylindrical unit made of monel. Mine was replace before I owned the boat with an aluminum tank of about the same size. The date on the tank is 2000. In 2007, after sitting on the hard for many months a pinhole leak developed in the bottom of the tank. Probably caused by water sitting in the tank. The boat did not go back in the water until 2008 when I move from NC to OH. I removed the tank and patched it with epoxy and fiberglass before launch. That patch has held up just fine with no signs of leaks or delamination of the patch as of 2018. If/when the tank develops more problems I will probably look into replacing it with a plastic tank.
DHP - August 2018
Here are some photos of the fuel tank as it was installed on my 10M (#212) when I got the boat in 2001. The fuel fill was on the port side deck near the stanchion base and the spot on the toe rail where there is a gap for water to drain off. A hose ran over the quarter berth to an elbow fitting on the top of the tank.
In 2002 I changed the fuel fill location to the cockpit sole. It's easier to fill from a can in this location (especially at sea) and the hose is a straight run of about 10". There is a fuel gauge on the top of the tank that is visible through a view port on the cockpit sole but now I can also use a dip stick to check the fuel level. The side deck fill was also a problem with spills. It was easier to spill overboard from the fill and the fill was higher than the tank vent on the stern so over-filling could lead to a leak that you would not see until it was too late. The downside to the cockpit fill is the potential for making a mess when filling and water getting past the filler cap o-ring (probably as much or more of a problem on the side deck?). I take an oil absorbent pad with a hole in the center and place that around the filler when adding fuel.
To fix the fuel leak I removed the tank from the boat. It was fairly easy to remove and fits through the starboard cockpit locker hatch.
The leak was on the bottom of the tank away from the seams at the ends.
To repair the tank I ground off the finish over the entire bottom and applied a patch of West System epoxy and biax fiberglass tape. I treated the aluminum with the West System aluminum etching kit before applying the epoxy.
