My 22 came with a 6 gallon gas can which takes up a lot of room in the cockpit. I day sail on lakes and typically don't have to use it except in/out of the dock. I am thinking of putting a deck port in the vertical part of the cockpit seat, getting a place beneath where I can secure the gas can and then just when I need it, bring the hose up through the port. OK/bad/terrible idea?
Outboard gas tank under cockpit?
- Thread starter tim_kd7jz
- Start date
Its not legal that way...as fumes can collect in the cabin and cause you to explode..
But if it is equipped with an unobstructed vent line to the outside you can get away with it...
But if it is equipped with an unobstructed vent line to the outside you can get away with it...
My Venture 222 was setup that way - with a quick connect in the side if the well - but no sign of a vent. It came without tank - it is a for sure a risk to just hide a conventional o/b tank in there - although a very tempting solution...
I have not decided on a tank yet, but my plan is to install a proper tank with filler and vent plus a blower ...
Or is that overkill?
I have not decided on a tank yet, but my plan is to install a proper tank with filler and vent plus a blower ...
Or is that overkill?
The P.O. of my Hunter 25.5 kept the tank in the lazerette. Expansion and contraction due to temperature caused it to leak all over the place inside and created a terrible mess. I kept it bungeed down in the cockpit after that. Easy cleanup. No fumes.
Gasoline fumes are heavier than air and will collect and concentrate at the bottom of the hull. These fumes in large concentration are explosive. My suggestion would be to switch to a more compact 3.5 Gallons tank.
This is what I did. I put my propane canisters for the BBQ in there as well. I routered a hole for the fuel line to go through. Fuel smell below deck is not only dangerous it will make anyone seasick.
Ken B.
CMDRE - NETS
Ken B.
CMDRE - NETS
Attachments
Hey, thats my boat......
In my 21 andy 25 this space below the settee was unused and unaccessable, so i constructed an aluminum box, put a lip on it and cut a hole in the side of the footwell,and installed the box...
I made a sunbrella coverto snap over it so the tanks arent visable.
Also note my homeade folding fender holder... holds the fenders secure and ready when needed...
I doesnt interfere with the floatation.
Anyome who has removed the floatation to get into the area back there can testify that it isnt packed as solid as one would think... its filled with more smaller pieces back in there and the larger pieces put in last to either hold the small pieces in place.. or to make it look good.
But no matter the reason, when i did the mod NO floatation foam was removed, but only stacked better.
And rhere is actually a lot more room for foam if someone should want to add some as the space is only filled to the level of the settee with the coaming being empty.... with the tank well added and the foam stacked around it and up into the coamimg along the side and transom area, one can create enough extra space so that when the last blocks are added, they fit well under the cockpit sole, leaving a large accessable storage bin in an area that was once filled with foam.
Stacking the foam can be done below the vberth also... to create a large amount of storage for water, drinks, ect... after stacking the blocks, once you get the very last ones where they fit the best, use a little dab of spray foam at 2-3 strategic spots to lock them in place so they wont come dislodged and fall back into the space you just made...
Center line, GREAT MOD. Wish I had the skills to do something like it. Gas tank in cockpit = PITA. Decades ago there was a guy who made fiberglass gas tank inserts similar to your aluminum ones for various size boats. I, of course, didn't get one and he no longer makes them. C'est la breaks. To anyone thinking about storing gas or any other flammable below decks improperly, DON'T!!!. I have seen the tragic results of a boat burned to the waterline due to fumes in the bilge. This goes for gas, propane, etc.
A fiberglass locker would be easy enough, but better if you could sell a couple to help offset the time and materials for the mould.... a couple years ago when I wanted a below deck propane locker large enough to hold a 20lb. cylinder (commonly called a 5 gallon tank), i couldnt find any to buy, so i made a mould and built my own...
after handlaying up the first "locker" on the mould to prove it works, i took the mould to a local fiberglass shop and had one blown on by chopper gun... they did the prep work on the mould and applied the release agent. They asked if i wanted gelcoat but I declined as it cost a bit more and was unnecessary for a propane locker. I used paint on my first one and assumed i would on the new one.
it came out much better than my hand layed locker, it was a much quicker layup and looked professional. I sold it to a local fisherman for his boat.
Im still using my proto type in my 34, and the guy that bought the other one installed it sideways into the side of his wheelhouse and uses a laydown camper type tank in it...
My point being that anyone with wood working skills can probably come up with a fiberglass locker cheaper than someone using metal. One just has to be creative....
Easiest and cheapest way to go is to get a 3 gal tank and keep it in the cockpit under the tiller. If you think about it, no one really puts their feet under there anyway. I tried this in my C22 and took pictures of where my feet would be even while seated all the way aft. A 3 gal tank takes up way less room and that amount of fuel is plenty for lake sailing.
Wait a sec.... aren't all the new gas tanks "ventless"?
When I bought my boat, the line was run through a through-deck fitting to the tank in the laz. I ran it that way for 4 years with the '91 Johnson 2 stroke and metal tank that came with it. My new Tohatsu 6hp came with a 3 gal tank (the newer kind that balloons out if left in the sun but never vents) so I ran the line down to the laz like before. I'll admit, there was some gas smell with the old metal tank but absolutely none with the new plastic tank. No fumes, no danger, right?
Also: there is no blower but there are big clamshell vents on both sides of the hull to sweep fresh air in and pull air out from the laz
When I bought my boat, the line was run through a through-deck fitting to the tank in the laz. I ran it that way for 4 years with the '91 Johnson 2 stroke and metal tank that came with it. My new Tohatsu 6hp came with a 3 gal tank (the newer kind that balloons out if left in the sun but never vents) so I ran the line down to the laz like before. I'll admit, there was some gas smell with the old metal tank but absolutely none with the new plastic tank. No fumes, no danger, right?
Also: there is no blower but there are big clamshell vents on both sides of the hull to sweep fresh air in and pull air out from the laz
I had considered that, but the new low permeation tanks are only approved for above deck use. They are likely an improvement over the older types but still do not provide adequate warranty against fume spills over a reasonably anticipated useful life. There are some issues with the fittings as the tanks tend to pressurize.
Something to consider ....
"Pressurized low-permeation fuel system components require a thread sealant specifically designed for the unique conditions they create to maintain a leak-proof seal at their threaded connections. Tape-type thread sealants will not withstand the pressurized conditions potentially created within low-permeation systems. Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket No. 3, Model 13630512, is recommended for all low-permeation fuel system threaded connections."
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...6v5ncoYQozlatRWrDzxYi7PfypiGd4kXOKhoCjvfw_wcB
I just had to use some of the Permatex when plumbing a fuel polishing system to use with the Endeavour's diesel fuel. Never used it before this,
Sumner
==========================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
"Pressurized low-permeation fuel system components require a thread sealant specifically designed for the unique conditions they create to maintain a leak-proof seal at their threaded connections. Tape-type thread sealants will not withstand the pressurized conditions potentially created within low-permeation systems. Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket No. 3, Model 13630512, is recommended for all low-permeation fuel system threaded connections."
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...6v5ncoYQozlatRWrDzxYi7PfypiGd4kXOKhoCjvfw_wcB
I just had to use some of the Permatex when plumbing a fuel polishing system to use with the Endeavour's diesel fuel. Never used it before this,
Sumner
==========================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
Ive got a 72 venture 224 .and it has a hatch in the aft of the cockpit .when I got the boat it wasnt bulkheaded off from the rest of the boat so I got some plywood and sealed it off from the rest of the interior. I store my batteries and my fuel tank (which is one of the new 3 1/2 gal. ventless type.It also had the clamshell vents on it .I now have no fumes in the cabin and all is good .Happy sailing and have a happy New Year . Scubadaddy of the good ship Jade Amanda