Outboard fuel tank position.

graham

graham

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The outboard fuel tank on my boat is very neatly and securely installed in the lazarette locker.

Im not happy as this is not sealed off and fumes can travel via the cockpit lockers into the boat.Im thinking of reinstalling a smaller tank which fits across the after part of the cockpit well under the tiller probably in a vented plywood box to keep the sun off and stop folk standing on it.

Any spillage (Dont spill much at £1.20 a litre /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif) would go down the cockpit drains and fumes would go off to atmosphere.

Before I spend time and money anyone with any thoughts/advice on the job?

cb3c28a7.jpg
 
I have often wondered out relocating my tank to the cockpit locker but venting is one problem, it must be vented to a vent outside the boat. Filling is another. Once the tank becomes fixed in the locker it will need a proper fixed filler. A proper fixed tank with external vent and proper filler is the only alternative to the portable tank which can be filled off the boat.

Don't kid yourself about handling petrol in the cockpit. I put a couple of gallons in my tank yesterday while it was sitting on the cockpit floor. There was a nice F3 or 4 brezze and the boat was lying to the wind. One would have assumed that the fumes would have been carried away but not so. The cabin was full of petrol fumes by the time I had finished.

BTW I cover mine with a white kitchen bin liner to keep the sun off.

Over £10 for 2 gallons of petrol grrr I can remember when it would have been less than 10/-
 
On a previous boat I fitted a replacement cap that stayed with the boat and had a vent pipe (screenwasher hose) through the hull at rubbing strake level and was clipped along the stern to allow fumes to drop safely into the water. I fixed the pipe to the cap using a brass pipe union I got from somewhere (can't remember where) and the pipe was a push fit onto it.
When I wanted to refill I swapped that cap with the original and took the tank ashore.
I guess someone like Demon Tweaks Motorsport will do a load of petrol tank vent items in their racing catalogue. (not the custom/dress-up catalogue)

In Fact it's here. Fuel Vents I just drilled the cap and installed the valve in that.
 
Box not permanently fixed, perchance ? Therefore possible to hoist out of cockpit to fill tank or maybe remove tank from it to do the same. As to fixing down - there are fancy clips but webbing straps to belt it down would do assuming any vents are flexible. Construction in marine ply, since it's exposed, with resin and tape seams. My recent hindsight thoughts on similar would be to use polyester rather than epoxy. Battens or feet on bottom so doesn't stand in puddle.
 
My 10 L portable tank rested on the floor (secured) at the back of the cockpit. I enclosed it this year.

Resize%20of%20Locker1.JPG


The cockpit drain is underneath at the rear of it so I took care to leave a gap larger in area than the drain under the front. It is also open to the outboard locker on the left. It is not intended as a dry sealed locker, more as something to keep the sun off the fuel tank and gas bottle and make them a littel more secure. It also gives us a useful table space and helps getting on and off the boat.

The fuel tank lifts out for filling.

I posted a few times whilst doing it here and here
 
The other option is to seal the lazarette locker from the cabin. This will involve I imagine making up sheets of f/g or ply to fill the gaps all of which are fibre glassed into place.
It all depends on whether you want more locker space and are prepared to ahve another locker at the back of the cockpit. olewill
 
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