Vent my bow for gas tanks?

[aristotle]

I have repowered my boat to a heavier engine, so I'll be needing to move some weight from the rear to the front.

<br />I'll be putting 3 6gallon plastic tanks to the bow and then running a longer hose to the rear for my motor.<br />My question is, will I need to cut a "vent" on hood of the bow to prevent fumes from the tank building up underneath and to get some circulation. I have a full canvas top that I usually use and it's fully enclosed. I also put a propane heater on the dash. Any forseen problems? Add a fan underneath to circulate air? <br /><br />Ultimately I'd like to add a permanent tank under there, but for now will have to use the gas tanks I have. <br />Any suggestions?

 

[JB]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

I think you will be required by law to force ventilate the bow compartment, and before starting, Aristotle.<br /><br />I also think you are on very thin ice with propane on a boat. Leaking propane is heavier than air and will accumulate in the bilge, turning your boat into a bomb. Heating devices should be alcohol fueled.<br /><br />I think you need to research USCG regs on both.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[beniam]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

Aristotle<br />Played with plastic (red, meant for open boat)tanks.<br />They will smell of gas when covered. If those are the ones, I think they leak fumes. Batavier

 

[Realgun]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

Dang it Aristotle stop tesaing me with that boat and the nice carpet job! Now whats that website again?<br /><br />Also I would not install the gas tanks in front of that 15 fotter it will then plow through the water and in rough seas the fuel tanks could be tossed around a lot causing a lot of problems.<br /><br />Best bet is a large tank mounted in the rear.

 

[aristotle]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

I have a large tank in the back now. But i need to move some weight which is why I need to move it to the front. I bought a heavier motor and need to move some weight from the rear to the front somewhere.

 

[fishingdan]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

Portable fuel tanks in a closed compartment are not a good idea (I don't even know if it is legal). If you do that, you will need to vent that compartment. <br /><br />Don't even think of lighting a propane heater anywhere in the boat if you have portable fuel tank in the bow. Portable tanks usually have vents in the cap. These should be closed when transporting the boat. Open them only when you are running the engine. The problem is that gas fumes, like propane, are heavier than air. When those tanks in the bow vent fumes, the fumes will travel along the floor to the back of the boat. Any open flame (i.e. propane heater) can ignite the fumes. <br /><br />Why not install a permanent tank in the bow area? Much, much safer for that area.

 

[agrazela]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

I assume you have an outboard...do you think your fuel pump will suck fuel through that length of fuel line?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

Agrazela,<br /><br />Ever run an outboard with the vent closed on a plastic tank? Sucks it down tighter than Space Bags. I made that same mistake with my red portable 6 gallon Tempo tank. It still has not fully recovered. I think it will draw gas from a front mounted tank just fine.

 

[SeaHorse]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

I just mounted a 19 gallon permanent bow fuel tank in my boat. I had to get some weight off the stern since I switched to a heavier motor. Moving the weight to the front has done wonders for the boat's performance and there are no problems with fuel pumping to the rear. No more lifting those heavy tanks in and out is a nice plus too.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

I suggest you look into a permanent tank with a filler and vent on the outside top of the deck. You could passively ventilate the bow with those air scoops an inboard would have on top of the engine compartment too. Portable tanks seem like trouble to me, you can't vent them directly to the outside. Nice looking boat by the way, good luck!

 

[chrisausti]

Re: Vent my bow for gas tanks?

Sort of facing the same problem with the venting.<br />I replacd the 2 sliding doors that permitted access to the portable gas tanks. The old doors were made completlty of vinyl vent holes. My new doors are made of wood and covered in carpet. My plan was to cut some soffit type vents in the new doors but am still concerned about fumes. Any Suggs?