Sealing off the Fuel Locker - Ideas?

[GorillaToast]

In order to be able to completely stretch out on the port cabin settee, I need to remove the aft cushion and the screwed on bulkhead. This will leave that part of the pan open to the fuel locker, exposing the cabin to the possibility of gas fumes.

I'd like to glass in a bulkhead at the end of the small pad the gas tank sits on, creating a small fuel locker. Has anyone done this? Can anyone think of a reason not to?

If I do it, I'll use 1/8" marine ply completely glassed and tabbed to the hull; a very permanent installation. I'll also route the vent hoses into it.

Thanks for any experiences / suggestions.
Bill

 

[KingAirDriver]

I actually have plans to do this as well. I have a 6 gallon plastic tank as well as the original OMC 3 gallon-ish metal tank.

You have pretty much described what I had intended to do exactly. I am curious as well if anyone else has done this. I am also thinking about raising the tank compartment floor up higher as well.

I would also appreciate any input on this.

Neal

 

[GorillaToast]

After reading some posts on the Catalina Direct forum, it seems the prudent thing to do is (1)find a plastic box with a latching lid that will fit in the spaced and also house your tank. (2)Fit the 2 vent hoses from the port side coaming vents so you've got fume ventilation, and (3)run your fuel line thru a hole in the side.

Screw this box down to the pad and you're good to go. I'm looking for a suitalbe box tomorrow.

 

[Ken]

What about using a cheap cooler large enough to hold a three gallon tank?

 

[GorillaToast]

That's the idea.

 

[watercolors II]

Do a test first

Whatever box or cooler you fellows come up with I would set an open two gallon can of gasoline in the container for a couple weeks to see if the fumes of the gasoline would deform the container someway before making all the effort of installation.

 

[GorillaToast]

Very good idea!

Thanks.

 

[Merlin Clark]

http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Or...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051
kind of big but room for a 6 gallon tank, 2 cycle oil and a mix measuring jar?

 

[GorillaToast]

Yeah, I looked at that one today at HD. I don't think I'd be able to get the lid open enough to pull the tank out to fill it.

I found an extra recycling bin that fits in the space just right, and has a snap-on lid. Much easier to access and remove the tank,with lots of room left over for oil, funnel, etc. Testing it now per Watercolors' suggestion for fuel fume compatibility.

 

[Chris Patterson]

I have been watching this thread with great interest, as I would like to do the same thing. I have thought about it too much probably. But I like where this thinking is going. Yours, not mine. I just got through painting the entire bilge area, stem to stern. Takes a lot of creativity to get in some of those places.
And, there is an incredibly large space under there, I'm thinking about renting out the "fuel locker". But the fume business is intriguing. It is not sealed up completely down there, there's a big gap on the starboard side where that useless galley used to reside. So the venting. A sure-nuff bilge blower seems overkill, noisy, and power consuming. One of my favorites is, is a muffin fan out of a computer power supply. They are generally 12 volts, draw very little power, and under there would be virtually silent. And could be adapted easily to a 3 inch hose going to the vents.
One of these electrical gee-whiz gurus might know if this is intrinsically safe, what with power mixed with gasoline fumes sometimes having a tendency to go "poof", blowing off the stern of the boat, and killing everybody, and other such annoying things.
I hate it when that happens.
Again..

 

[GorillaToast]

Yeah, I doubt those computer fans are explosion proof.

I think the 2 cowl vents are sufficient, at least the Coast Guard thinks so, as long as the hoses are properly attached to whatever box we use. As soon as I'm certain the fumes wont damage the hard plastic recycling bin I'm planning to use, I'll drill for two 2.5" holes (one near the bottom and one near the top) to which I'll attach PVC flanges for the hoses to connect to.

I had a 3 gal. tank just sitting in there last year, and although there were sometimes a little fumes at the stern of that compartment, none ever made it into the cabin. At least, I never smelled anything other than the stinky head (which is GONE now.)

 

[Bog13]

Wow you guys this is great,
I never thought of this, I just brought home my new to me c22 last week, I will be looking at this this weekend,
are any of you close to Brookville lake IN.

 

[GorillaToast]

Wow you guys this is great,
I never thought of this, I just brought home my new to me c22 last week, I will be looking at this this weekend,
are any of you close to Brookville lake IN.

If you can call 2hrs "close". I'm in Columbus, OH

Congratulations on becoming a C22 owner. They're fun to sail and fun to work on.

 

[Sylvan]

Gas Concrns

Besides preparing against fumes, give some thought to avoiding any spillage as could happen when filling tank or from boat bounce and healing. The safest system is probably the old outboards with built-in tanks, rather than the remote. My old boat came with a remote tank which I keep in the cockpit beneath the tiller. And that could be a problem if you bring a smoker aboard. RK

 

[Ken]

cockpit locker

One of my friends decided to put his tank in the cockpit against the transom, he simply built a wooden cover for the three gallon tank. Sorry I don't have any pictures of it.

 

[GorillaToast]

My slip is in a marina that is deep in a secluded cove with no live-aboards and no security guards. The lagoon and fairways are open to the public, so fishermen are in and around our boats early in the am. I would be worried that my tank would get emptied on a regular basis if it wasn't under lock and key.

 

[Ken]

fully understand

 

[GorillaToast]

Here's what I'm talking about:
Front cowl intake goes to lower fitting, rear cowl outake to higher fitting. There's a snap on lid and I'll route the fuel line thru the side.

 

[Doug L]

On the Venture 222 I used to have, I connected a vent hose to the tank and ran it over the stern, so the tank was vented overboard, not vented to the inside of the boat. That seemed to work pretty good. On the tank I had, it had a vent screw that had to be loosened to vent the tank. I replaced this screw with a drilled out piece of threaded rod, and connected the vent hose to this.

 

[GorillaToast]

The fuel locker project is finished. Here's some additional images of the build and install. I had to cut off some of the protruding flanges to get it to fit in the port locker. You can see there is plenty of room for storage of motor oil, a funnel, etc. The fuel line is routed out the side and that grommet will be in place, then it goes thru a tight fitting thru-hull well above the water line to the motor. As soon as it gets above freezing I'll test the water tightness of that fitting with a garden hose. There is a lid that snaps onto the box.

My thanks to Ken, whose idea saved me a ton of fiberglass work.