Long range tanks in a 16' Angler

[AK Angler]

OK- I know that the little Anglers are designed to hold up to 3 portable 6 gallon gas tanks. That fact, however, did not stop a previous owner from mounting a single 18 gallon tank athwartships, under the splashwell on Navicula. (It also has not stopped me from loading up on extra gas cans when I need to...) I grade the tank installation a "C" for resourcefullness and an "F" for application.

Here's why:
1. The tank blocks access to the recess where the bilge pump resides. At this time, I can't even remove the pump if I wanted to (or if I HAD to).
2. In order to avoid removing the bilge pump altogether, the tank was raised a couple of inches on wooden blocks. This gap readily collects all kinds of debris, and is a royal pain to clean under.
3. The tank also blocks the drain hole and plug. I can barely squeeze my arm under the tank far enough to reach it- and I had better not be wearing long sleeves (see #2 above).
4. The tank is black, which necessitates using an electric fuel level sending unit. While I'm not opposed to reading the fuel level on the dash mounted guage, it's one more system on board that shall be governed by Murphy's Law.

So- I am removing the offending tank. That much is a done deal at this point.

The question that I have for my fellow Brats (especially those sporting 16 footers) is... How much fuel is too much?

The replacement tanks (yes- tanks... 2 of them) that I am llooking at using are "saddle" type tanks that would get mounted under the sides, where the foam blocks currently reside. And I am leaning towards a pair of 24 gallon units made by Moeller.

I figure that if I get a couple of big tanks and mount them out of the way, it would be better than getting smaller tanks (Moeller makes 18 gallon versions of the same tanks). That way, I wouldn't have to carry gas cans (which seem to always be in the way...) when I need more fuel.

I know, this begs the question.. Why do I need so much gas? Well, I need to have a realistic range of about 150 miles, not including any reserve, to make the trip out to my property on Latouche Island from either Whittier or Seward. At ~4.5-5 MPG, I figure about 45 gallons would do the trick.

One more thing to keep in mind is that the Whittier Tunnel Toll ****'s don't allow any more than 10 gallons of fuel through the tunnel in gas cans. Any more than that must be contained in gas tanks. They do ask. I have not yet been inspected, but I hate lying to them.

So, has anybody mounted saddle type tanks in a 16 footer? What size? Also, What will be the effect of moving that much fuel forward a couple of feet?

WOW! this post got REALLY long didn't it? SORRY...

[TyBoo]

Hi Rod -

The first thought that comes to mind is whether it is OK to remove the flotation foam. Probably ought to check on that. I know that boats 21' and under are required to have it installed at manufacture, but I don't know if it is legal for the end user to remove it. If the CG inspects the boat, and it is supposed to have a minimum amount of flotation, you might not need any fuel to make your maximum allowable cruise range.

I don't think that shifting the fuel weight forward would be a problem, but running one tank empty and having the one on the opposite side full and raised off the floor might make the boat a little tippy. Easily compensated for, but probably something you would need to keep in mind

There's no doubt that the exisiting tank as you describe it is haywire, and going to saddle tanks would sure free up some floor space that could be used for other things.

You'll get it figured out, I'm sure. Just be safe about it!

[AK Angler]

Hi Mike-

Good point about the CG regs regarding floatation foam. So I checked at the CG Boatbuilders website. There sure is a lot of very technical info on the subject. But one quote stands out...

"While we encourage recreational boat owners to use the information for their benefit, compliance with the regulations is the responsibility of the boat manufacturers."

So, I guess I'm off the "legal" hook, whatever I do. However, I do think that I'll try and relocate any foam I remove, just for safety's sake. There seems to be plenty of room alongside the splashwell in the aft corners to add floatation material...

EDIT: Well, after reading this post, I realized what I meant to say is that the CG won't stop me from altering the factory floatation... I guess that indeed DOES put me on the "legal" hook. Just another reason to relocate instead of remove the foam.

[Da Nag]

Aside from any legal ramifications, don't forget about the mindset of insurance companies. It would certainly depend on the circumstances and your policy, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a liability claim denied if you went forward with a modification like this...

[AK Angler]

So- I pulled the old tank out. Here are some pics before and after.

Notice that the tank supports are just screwed into the deck... I hope some sealer was used. I guess I'll find out when I remove the platform.

By the way- I had been having some problems with the engine the last couple of times I went out. I wonder if it could have had anything to do with the QUART of water that I siphoned out!!!