Re: My new Mark lll Futura I am so ready for summer
Sounds like you have a good start on getting your zodiac set up. I only had a 12 gallon tank attached to the second wood section, but it was not a problem and I have launched off more than one large wave (when the surf is overhead even a cautious line is exciting). You will find that the front section of the boat is fine for riders when it's relatively calm. If it gets choppy or there are waves the ride up forward is not great. The bow, even with smart tabs and weight forward can be pretty rough. You will see how the deal goes when you get the boat on the water. If it gets too rough I make my crew sit on the tubes in the back. Sort of messes with the weight distribution, but it is much more stable than the bow. Just watch the conditions and adjust accordingly. On the bay I usually don't have any problem. I'm not sure how heavy the aluminum checker plate is. You don't want to add too much weight to your overall load (forward yes, extra heavy no). My thinwall tank would not make a good load bearing surface. Maybe adding an internal wall section with openings for flow would support the weight better. Remember, aluminum has good strength, but does not like to be flexed excessively or it will crack. Your plan may work fine, but I would never stand or sit on my aluminum tank. Personally, If I was going to do the mod you propose I would go with a regular aluminum 10 to twelve gallon tank fastened to the floor board. Then I would put a bench over it. I bought a scrap piece of aluminum c section from my local industrial metal supply. Makes great bench supports. Could be used as is for the wood section. I had to cut and bolt two pieces together (with the top cut off each c) to make an s shape support for bolting to my aluminum floor board. That put the edges of the support under the original bench on the top and wide enough to attach to my backing plates in the floor that key into my side rails. My current bench is wider than stock to take advantage of the extra clearance since it has been raised. Probably wouldn't need an s section support now. I made the bench out of marine plywood sealed with polyurethane topside paint. Here is an image of the stock c section and a photo of the installed s shaped support. I stand on my bench frequently so it had to be rock solid.
I ended up building supports to raise my bench because I wanted it to be high enough to comfortably steer when standing in addition to accomadating the tank and battery. If you just need a little extra height for your battery it is easy to put an aluminum spacer on the bench bottom between the wood and the slanted supports. Easy to gain a couple of inches if necessary.
The transom saver is just to support your engine when towing. I carry my engine tilted up to maximize ground clearance when traveling offroad. The tilted outboard exerts quite a bit of torque on the transom when it bounces up and down (lot's of leverage). The transom saver doesn't eliminate all of that dynamic loading, but sure reduces the effect. I'm not trying to promote West Marine, but their website is a great place to look at boating hardware that you need a picture and description of. Here is a shot of my transom saver.
Don't stress too much about getting everything perfect right off. You will be stoked to get out on the water and experience will guide you. I've changed my set up more than once. A lot of what I've done is dictated by my wakeboarding needs. Try a hole shot with your new outboard, no smart tabs, weight aft and be sure to hold on! I was disappointed in my Zodiac until I took the steps to get it right. Bow rise is now minimal. I was moving to Seattle and looked forward to hitting Vancouver island, but Washington Mutual folded and now I'm staying in San Diego (rough life). Barkley Sound sure looks like fun and might be worth a road trip when my wife finds a new job. Otherwise it's cheap camping in Mex for us. Be prepared when hitting open waters and watch out for boomers. Conditions change fast on the coast and the cold water is unforgiving.
Drowned Rat, I am definitely considering a 10 micron fuel water separator. The advice I got was to avoid the 2 micron filters because they pulled out every little bit of water and particulates. I understand that this can lead to filter issues very quickly. Your scheduled maintenance replacement is the norm. Still, if you fuel someplace suspect a funnel filter can keep the water and junk from even entering your system. An absolute must have item in Mex that experienced fishermen I know use even with a permanent filter installed.
Hope everyone is having fun! I'm going to check the surf report and tides. Might be a good day to hit the Point. see ya!
