I'd Like Bigger Tanks

[C-Bill]

My 22 CD is powered with a 2 stroke Yamaha 90 together with a 4 stroke Yamaha 9.9 for trolling. I have two 18 gal tanks. I also have a 19 gal live bait tank which I use occasionally. I position the bait tank against the cabin bulkhead with the cabin door held open. I fish in the ocean occasionally and this is where I mostly use live bait. With the trolling motor on the transom and the bait tank functioning, I get water slopping into the motor well. I did that just once, and since then I've removed the trolling motor. I find boat handling in the ocean much improved while using the bait tank without the trolling motor. If I were to go very far offshore, I'd take fuel in portable containers that I could position so as to balance the boat. That's just my two cents.

After one more season, I'll probably go with a single 4 stroke weighing less than 300 lbs and may go to smaller tanks. Personally, I prefer to balance the boat out and keep my options open when it gets UGLY out there.

Also, I've had two occasions, I've had to have old gas pumped out of my tanks (36 gal) and replaced with fresh fuel. Old gas can cause engine damage.

Bill

[Coastie Dory]

Hi all,

I just got finished getting our stock 22 ready for water demos. When I started adding gas to the tanks I stopped at about one gallon. Just for fun I syphoned out the fuel I just put in through the fuel supply line. There is maybe a quart or two of fuel left behind when the pick up sucks air. I have no doubt there is at least 20 gallons of useable fuel in each tank. Our boat was supposed to get the 24 gallon tanks installed and I was told that because of supplier issues the larger tanks were on indefinite hold.

I agree with Les on the athwartships tank thoughts. Can't think of anything to add.

Best wishes, Randy.

[Sea Wolf]

This topic has me baffled a bit. Although I've read over the past several years about how many C-Dory owners have had problems with water and crud collecting in the bottoms of the old 18 gallon tanks, and how the tanks seem to leave several gallons down out of reach, reducing their capacity significantly, I've not experienced either problem.

I had all the hoses- intake, vent, and supply- replaced when I bought my "87 used in "98, and have never experienced either problem. I ran one dry purposely in 2002 at the last C-Dog's get-together here at Shasta Lake, and it took 17.7 gallons to refill it at the pump. My guess is that the service on the hoses included purging the tanks and that the pick-up tubes were either replaced and/or lengthened, or perhaps just set up differently as my boat was one of the very first of the new style Cruisers (hull lay up date: Jan. 7, "87.

Either way, I've been fortunate to not experience either problem, so I guess I should be happy for the status quo and practice the proverbial "Don't Mess with Success" Doctrine.

I have a new Racor fuel filter system with two inlets and two outlets waiting to be installed when I replace my old 90 hp Johnson 2-cycle with a new 4-cycle fuel-injected motor, but until then, I'm just running the gas straight into the engine(s), without any apparent problems. Joe.

[Bearh]

Les, Tyboo, et al.,
As I'm sitting here, stewing and pondering on it all, with my 18 gallon Moeller tanks sitting in the shed, and my newly tuned and filtered boat sitting on the hard tankless, and my 20 gallon tanks ordered from C-Dory but apparently not to be seen for weeks to come, and custom tanks costing on the high side of $750, I've come up with some subsidiary questions--
1. If the pickup location (outboard end) of the 18 gallon tanks was the problem, why not switch the tanks end-for end, and run longer hoses down to the fill, vent, and outlet ports, which would then be located more amidships?
2. Are people using the Tempo plastic p-traps available in the West Marine catalogue to prevent backflow of water through the vents to the tanks, or the anti-siphon vents also advertised there? Or something else?
3. Has anyone used the Tempo or Todd under-deck tanks advertised in West Marine (They have side-saddle tanks, as Les has noted--anybody tried them?).
4. How exactly, do the pickups work in these (18-gal) tanks--are they simply a tube from the bottom of the tank to the outlet fitting at the top of the tank, or what? Could they be removed and extended, bent, directed to the lowest point, whatever is necessary?
5. When I reconnect hoses to tank fittings, would it be good sportsmanship to use a little oil or Vaseline to get 'em on easier, or is there something bad that might happen if I do?
Color me cheap, functionally C-Doryless, and hankering to get back on the water.

[Larry H]

Bearh,

I had my gas tanks custom made by I.M.C.O. in 1991. They are 25 gals each. The tanks are still in good condition. This company can make any size or shape. I have no idea about prices, but here is a link to their web site. The company is located in southern California.

http://www.imcomarine.com/pages/tanks.html

[Alyssa Jean]

I am in agreement with Pat on Daydream on the capacity of the "20 gal" tanks on the newer 22's. I can put in about 22.5 gal in each after I have run them dry.

[Adeline]

Last week I ran my starboard tank dry(Tempo 18 gallon). It took 16.795 gallons to fill. Pete

[TyBoo]

[Bearh]

So, then--today I get a call from Jill at C-Dory. My tanks are shipping today, by ground, and should be here by Easter Monday, at the latest. Yay! Stay tooned. In other news, I'm still ruminating about putting p-traps in at the fuel vents, but haven't yet done so. Any strong opinions as yet unexpressed out there? And finally--Party on the Potomac is getting put together, for the weekend of June 18-19 or thereabouts. Still plenty of time for any of the Pacific Rimshot folks to get here. C'mon down! Make sure you stop for pasties in Montana on the way. Avoid the burritos in mid-Kansas. The coffee improves again east of the Appalachians, after 2000 miles of caffeine wasteland, at least in my experience. Best wishes, Bruce H.

[B~C]

Just what do you mean when you say pasties in Montana? Love to go but I don't know if I could survive the coffee wasteland
I replaced my tank vents with a set of those plastic jobbies with the check valve....it seems those vents ride just about dock high...plastic is tough but not as tough as the dock, the thing lasted about one week.

[Captains Cat]

Hey, nuff. We gots Starguts here too. You just gotta have the stomach for it. Come see us, I'll make some of that campfire stuff...

We got 6 for the Potomac River/Ches Bay extravaganza so far and over two months to go!!

Way to go Bearh, get them tanks.

[Bearh]

So then, again--
Easter Monday. The good news--my tanks arrived late in the afternoon. Yay! Then, I opened the boxes. Now the rest of the story--I have two tanks, vent and filler hose, clamps, screws, etc--but several pieces mentioned in the instructions (apparently adequate for most people, but they do leave a bit to the imagination, in my reading) like filler hose, aluminum angles, nylon straps, etc. are...not there. Hmm. However, I do have a second large box which contains...someone's burgundy seat cushions.
Imagine my joy.
On to the phone tomorrow. Stay tuned. I hope to second the rave reviews given the factory by many. So far, however...people do have bad days. I guess. Note effort to be understanding and kind. Do left coast customers have different juju, or what?

[Captains Cat]

I bet someone will be more than willing to trade a box of hardware/hoses etc. for those Burgandy cushions! Good luck..

Charlie

[Pat Anderson]

Well, yes, I could sure use a box new Burgundy (Cabernet actually) seat cushions, but unfortunately I don't have a box of hardware for the trade - can we trade for beer?

[Bearh]

So I sent back the cushions--and got my second parts package from the factory, next day air. Great response--except again, parts missing. No words for my joy. Go to my happy place. Breathe. Other people love me. I think.