stainless gas tanks in the belly of the boat

[Goober01]

Hi,I am rebuilding a 24ft fiberform boat. It came with 2 stainless steel tanks in the belly of the boat and 1 aluminum tank in the aft under floor. The problem I have is the 2 tanks in the belly of the boat drain out a welded fitting at the bottom of the tank rather than coming out the top of the tanks. Can I put a pipe plug in the drain hole to seal it of and then add a discharge fitting to the top of the tank in order to comply with uscg standards for gas fuel tanks.I have already replaced the stringers ,floor and transom before I found out about not being able to gravity feed belly tanks. I do want to be able to comply as I want to insure this boat.

 

[dannys2004glastron175mx]

Yes you can jest use a brass or stainless steal plug

 

[gm280]

Are you certain those two stainless steel tanks are not live well tanks? Sound like it to me because you stated they have drains in the lower section AND that you have an aluminum tank towards the back. That would sound more like the fuel tank. But I easily can be wrong. It would only be the third or four time today... Let's see what others think...

 

[smokeonthewater]

pretty sure live well tanks would have a BIG hole in the top lol

 

[gm280]

pretty sure live well tanks would have a BIG hole in the top lol

Yea..I don't know what I was thinking, but now I have to laugh as well. Funny after rethinking it... Sorry I should have stayed in bed today :sorry: ound:

 

[jbcurt00]

YOU ADDED 2 stainless steel tanks to the boat, since you gutted it and replaced the stringers, deck and transom?

Or they were originally in the boat, not previous owner add ons?

And you WANT the fuel capacity of 3 below deck tanks?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Yea..I don't know what I was thinking, but now I have to laugh as well. Funny after rethinking it... Sorry I should have stayed in bed today :sorry: ound:

We all have days like that... some more than others... LOL

 

[smokeonthewater]

A thought on the tanks.... Make every effort to mount all fuel tanks near the center of gravity of the boat....

fore aft weight distribution GREATLY affects the performance of the boat and of course side to side causes a list condition.... One LARGE tank well placed and possibly one smaller tank, if you must for peace of mind, is usually the preferred setup.

 

[Fed]

How are the fuel lines connected up, do the tanks all drain into each other or do you have separate fuel lines going to valves?

 

[alldodge]

Hi,I am rebuilding a 24ft fiberform boat. It came with 2 stainless steel tanks in the belly of the boat and 1 aluminum tank in the aft under floor. The problem I have is the 2 tanks in the belly of the boat drain out a welded fitting at the bottom of the tank rather than coming out the top of the tanks. Can I put a pipe plug in the drain hole to seal it of and then add a discharge fitting to the top of the tank in order to comply with uscg standards for gas fuel tanks.I have already replaced the stringers ,floor and transom before I found out about not being able to gravity feed belly tanks. I do want to be able to comply as I want to insure this boat.

GM I think your on to something, because this don't add up, 2 stainless and 1 aluminum. Why would a manufacture have 3 tanks and make them from two different materials. Maybe the stainless tanks are water tanks :noidea:

 

[jbcurt00]

GM I think your on to something, because this don't add up, 2 stainless and 1 aluminum. Why would a manufacture have 3 tanks and make them from two different materials. Maybe the stainless tanks are water tanks :noidea:

Perhaps you meant JB, not GM, but water tanks is EXACTLY what I was thinking when I asked if the SS tanks were added. It's a 24ft Fibreform boat, I'm pretty sure that's going to have a cabin or a cuddy, and if so, it might have a sink. 1 for water to the sink, the other a hold tank for gray water (NOT BLACK water) and both would have bottom gravity drains to a pump exterior of the tank.

 

[alldodge]

Perhaps you meant JB, not GM, but water tanks is EXACTLY what I was thinking when I asked if the SS tanks were added. It's a 24ft Fibreform boat, I'm pretty sure that's going to have a cabin or a cuddy, and if so, it might have a sink. 1 for water to the sink, the other a hold tank for gray water (NOT BLACK water) and both would have bottom gravity drains to a pump exterior of the tank.

Agree my comment would go for both, noticed GM's as I was skimming the post (not fully reading) and noticed yours but didn't put it together when I started typing.

Have a good one

 

[Scott Danforth]

Sounds like water and grey water tanks

 

[Mikeopsycho]

When I had my new aluminum fuel tank built I read somewhere that stainless steel is not an acceptable material for marine gas tanks, something about welds failing or cracks developing next to the welds was the problem. Not positive but something to look into.

 

[dockwrecker]

I had a 1975 Fiberform Baja 26' that I believe is probably close to what you're working on. Mine was a command bridge with a galley and a head closet. Mine also had a three tank configuration for fuel. I had this boat for six years, but sold it 25 years ago, I'll do my best as to remember the details.
1. Are you sure the tanks you refer to are stainless?
2. Mine was built with a 60 gallon main with two "saddle" tanks mounted in the aft above the deck on each side. (25 gals each) Each tank was filled by a through deck fitting and a vent installed below the rub rail. My boat was delivered with twin 307's with Volvo 280 drives. Probably why all of the fuel capacity. I had three fuel inlets. The saddle tanks were filled individually and linked to the main tank by a brass valve that switched from the main to the saddles. The saddle tanks were linked by a crossover hose between the tanks to a tee that fed to the valve. From the valve, it split to the two fuel pumps (one per each engine.)
3. My freshwater tank was located underneath the deck in the bow berth. It was polyurethane, not stainless, and filled through a deck fitting on the port side.
4. There was no grey water tank, the porta potty was self contained. The galley sink disposed thru hull.
I was told when I got the boat that the saddle tanks were an aftermarket addition, thus why they didn't match the original install. Maybe your boat is also fitted this way.

 

[Goober01]

Hi,All 3 tanks were fuel tanks and in the boat when I got it. According to the construction standards for small vessels,I am unable to use the 2 stainless tanks in the belly for fuel because they have an opening below the top line of the tank , must have been an old standard that allowed it. The Aluminum tank I have been told that it can be used,it just has to pass the 3lb pressure holding test.The problem I have now is I would like to have more fuel on board than just this 240 Litre tank at the aft. Docwrecker,was the 2 aux fuel tanks that you had above floor ,were they oem? Were they aluminum?

 

[dockwrecker]

Fuel inlet at the top, fitting at the bottom to the fuel tee. Total gravity feed. Don't know if they were stainless, they were painted. No fuel gauge senders, when they were out, they were out!