Fuel tank size 30ft

[vyv_cox]

I go the opposite way, top the tank up and leave full over winter.
No room for condensation and never, so far, had the bug.

I agree that has always been the advice given and I followed it myself. Now that (some) diesel contains FAME I hear that the stored life of diesel is now measurable in months and I know of several people who have had serious bug attacks despite fuel treatment and full tanks over winter. The condensation in tanks theory has been disproved several times and can easily be avoided even if it were true. It seems that most water in today's fuel was delivered by the pump at the fuel berth. Emptying the tank over winter is becoming more common.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Don't you find 25l drums a bit heavy to manhandle. I struggle with anything over 2 gal.

29ft boat 60 lt tank and 3 x 25 lt drums and only used 40 lts this year

 

[RichardS]

Don't you find 25l drums a bit heavy to manhandle. I struggle with anything over 2 gal.

My 6 jerry cans are all "standard" 20L and OK to handle short distances on the boat but do need two people if one has to be carried from the car to the boat on the pontoon. However the shape and the triple handles are designed for easy handling.

I'm not sure what "drum" means in this context but they don't sound ideal for handling.

Richard

 

[langstonelayabout]

My 28-footer has a 55 litre tank. Far more than is really necessary in a sailing yacht but not having to refuel often is a blessing.

My 27 footer has the same size of tank, although I really can’t agree with you about the refuelling as I think once a year is a little too often...

 

[prv]

Don't you find 25l drums a bit heavy to manhandle. I struggle with anything over 2 gal.

25 litres of diesel weighs 21kg. Even allowing a bit for the can itself, that doesn't seem excessive. Sure I wouldn't want to carry that miles from a garage, but bringing it down to the boat and moving it around on board wouldn't be an issue.

Have you had your Weetabix?

Pete

 

[lw395]

My 28-footer has a 55 litre tank. Far more than is really necessary in a sailing yacht but not having to refuel often is a blessing.

That seems a reasonable size.
I could fill up at the beginning of the season, and if I was going to France I wouldn't need to waste time buying a gallon or two, either there would be enough in there to get me back, or it would take an amount worth going to the fuel pontoon for.
Come the winter, if I needed to clean the tank, half a tank is a manageable quantity to decant.

 

[GeorgeTina]

Beneteau First 305 - 27 litres so carry extra 30 litres in plastic "cans". In the adriatic, among the islands, fuel stations are rare.

 

[fergie_mac66]

If I remember correctly "Sir" Henry Piggot Who use to cross the pond in his junk rigged modified colvic20, Had a 200deisel liter tank fitted .So I would say get the tank size that floats your boat and works for your mode of sailing ,and dont pay too.much heed to others.

 

[richardbrennan]

33 feet (sorry, 10 metres if we're talking metric), 100 litres.

 

[billgray]

30ft Moody, VP2030, 120ltr tank 25ltr in containers. Works well for me.

 

[geem]

I know it doesnt help the discussion but for comparison purposes. 44ft boat 86hp engine. 450 litre tank. My pal has the same boat but with the large engine option 130 hp and 650 litre tank. We generally only fill up at the end of the season as you dont get a condensation problem when its 30/35 degC. The good side is the fuel cost from 35-65p/litre if you know where to buy it in the Caribbean. The big tank means you buy it where it cheap and fill to the brim. I use biocide in my tank

 

[Poignard]

Slycat
In case you're wondering how big a 55-litre tank is, mine is 24" x 10" x 14".

 

[Slycat]

Thanks for those dimensions, very useful. This thread was great for me.
I wasnt sure if it was just me thinking the 25L ish tank was a bit small! I was finding it small in practice and seems bigger tanks are the norm.
My issue now is there is lots room for a bigger tank (at least twice as big) but getting it into the spot may be tricky. I'll use the dimensions above to give me an idea.
Thanks again all.

 

[Daydream believer]

A lot depends on the sailing one does. I have done 2 SH round UK , both via Calledonian canal and motoring accounted for 30% of the trip & fuel not always avaiable.
I have just had to motor back from Ostend via Ramsgate ( 109 miles) due to head winds in rough weather conditions so used 2.3 litres per hour for 23 hours.
As i only use white I stocked up before I left with spare cans (36 litres) as 45 litres main tank is not enough
One thing i do always carry is a 5 litre spare can full that sits in the bilges. I never touch this & i am always aware that i am sailing a yacht not a MOBO. So if I do run out of fuel I know that if I sail to the outside of a marina or harbour the 5 litres will get me in if I do not use it until I actually get there. That saves the embarrassing & sometimes expensive call to the harbour masters launch.
I once ran out of fuel off Clacton & had to sail into my berth at Bradwell- Very worrying as it was blowing 15-20kts fortunately in the right direction. I waited until first light when the staff were not there !!! Fortunately I made it Ok.

 

[johnalison]

A lot depends on the sailing one does. .

Very much what I was going to say. We carry up to 145l for a 34ft boat with 27hp. This gives us potentially around 70hrs. Since I am retired, we go away for two or three months and are on the move much of the time, so refilling can become a chore. Home to Brunsbuttel is over 50 hrs the short way, and being able to do it in one hop is very reassuring. On the other hand, when we only went away for short cruises, the tank on our Sadler 29 seemed quite enough, though we carried spare fuel, which I no longer do. I know someone who only sails locally, and so uses next to no diesel in the year. As a guide, I would say that another friend with 90l in a Bav34 found it fairly restrictive, but he had the 27hp option. I think around 90-100l would be the least I would want with perhaps a 18hp engine in a 30-footer.

 

[paul-essex]

Don't you find 25l drums a bit heavy to manhandle. I struggle with anything over 2 gal.

no I can lift a lot anyway but the drums I have are from HSS hire for the plant fuel I could carry one down any pontoon ect and two is easyer as it is more ballanced but I loaded the boat before it goes in

 

[LadyInBed]

Thanks for those dimensions, very useful. This thread was great for me.
I wasnt sure if it was just me thinking the 25L ish tank was a bit small! I was finding it small in practice and seems bigger tanks are the norm.
My issue now is there is lots room for a bigger tank (at least twice as big) but getting it into the spot may be tricky. I'll use the dimensions above to give me an idea.
Thanks again all.

Isn't an average car tank around the 45 ltr mark?
A couple of linked 20 ltr gerry cans would do a job (are we still allowed to say gerry?)

 

[Flica]

My 31' has a 12 gallon (54 litre) tank, giving a 36 hr endurance on a 3YM20.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

i bought a jeanneau sundream, the tank looks very small. is that normal?

 

[[70521]]

I have a 90l tank, but only use between 20 and 30l a year. This year I've found some gunky jelly in the primary fuel filter - the dreaded diesel bug. Having recently found the PBO Youtube Channel I viewed this with interest! As a result I am rethinking my practice of keeping the tank full. I'm moving to white fuel as getting red is a total faff and being able to empty the tank at the end of the season and being able to use it in the car looks a sensible way forward.