Fuel tank placement

[George Haus]

I have a 26c but I think this question may be of interest to others too. Mr. Mac did not design a logical place to put our gas tanks. To be safely vented the tank must be put on the floor of the cockpit. If you use a 6 gal you have an awful lot of deck space dedicated to it. If you use the lazarette (on the 26 c and d) you have the problem of the tank not being adequately vented. I use a 2 cycle Johnson and have to leave the vent open on the gas tank. Has anyone figgured out how something interesting to do with the tank?

 

[Doug A]

venting a tank on a mac

I have a mac 26c that I put the tank down in the lazerette, but I replace the vent with another gas hook up line that is vented to the outside. I have a nissan and I used johnson hookups for the vent so that I would not get them mixed up. My tanks are the tempo plastic with the vent in the cap. The Johnson male fiting replaces the vent. Then I used a female johnson hookup with a hose that is attached to a perminent vent. You still need passive ventilation in the hold.

 

[Bob]

Custom Tank

A while ago there was an owner here in the northeast who was molding custom tanks for the boats. It was the shape of an upsidedown rubbermaid waste basket, and fit very neatly into the narrow space in the lazarette between the motor well and cockpit. It is a great way to utilize this normally unuseable space. The tank was properly vented, and the fill located on the deck between the motor well and cockpit. I believe it holds six plus gallons.We installed one on our 26s five or six years ago, and it has been one of the best modifications we've made.I believe that there is an owner who has the mold, and may be willing to make up tanks. I don't know the cost, but as I recall I paid around $250 - $300 for mine including necessary parts and fittings. If you are interested, I'll be glad to check and see if they are available.

 

[T. Thompson]

Fuel tank replacement

I installed a permanent 11 gallon plastic marine fuel tank, by first sealing the lazaret and building flat floor on which to mount the tank. The tank is filled from the outside through a standard marine fil cap. Venting is provide by a half inch hose into the motor well. Grounding is also required to prevent static spark, this was done by putting a bronze ground plate through the transom below the water line. We have been using this for the past three years and it works great. This large a tank was necessary for us as we spend a month or more on our boat in the San Juan and Gulf Islands each summer.