I guess this post went in a different direction. It was to show a battery cover and shelve that looks better then a bunch of wires and utilizes the wasted space in the compartment. Now it is about the addition of the transfer fuel tank. This is a project and the big questions that I had to answer 1) Where do I put an extra tank? Install an Airhead remove the waste tank install the fuel tank there, good option. Move the batteries to starboard side compartment levels the boat, and opens up an area for a fuel tank on Port side. I measured both areas and made a tank out of cardboard to make sure it will slide in the compartment easily and also fit where the waste tank is. I designed it so that the pick-up, return, sending unit and vent are in easy accessible areas but out of the way so the least amount of storage area is used also so that the large storage area of the compartment is still available.2) Do I need the extra fuel capacity? Last fall we did our first segment of the Loop 720 miles of the 5000+ mile trip. We encountered 2 areas in this trip that had fuel stop distances of 168 miles and 250 miles. With 80 gallons of capacity a maximum of 72 gallons usable ( thats if the tank is 100% full which is very hard to do). We carried two portable tanks =15gallons capacity and used them. We made the 250 mile run with 15 gallons of usable fuel left. We had an advantage of 4.5 mph current on the Mississippi and a disadvantage of 2 mph current up the Ohio. 1950rpm making 11mph Mississippi and 4.5mph on the Ohio and Tennessee for close to 100miles. If I went any faster we would have run out of fuel. At this point I decided I need more fuel capacity. When I travel the Tenn-Tom and have the 250 mile stretch to Mobile I want reserve fuel.When I cross the Gulf , 160 miles I'm not spending 20 hours out there in a 26' boat I'm throttling up to 3600 and cruising at 16kts and getting across at an average of 1.9mpg I need extra capacity. 3) How do I use the tank ? leave it full leave it empty when not needed. Full or empty? How often do we keep our main tank full? When we tow we always try to keep the tank close to empty. When we are boating and have a half tank of fuel are we worried about it being half full and getting condensation? It's a small aluminum tank that will be used enough that the amount of condensation and water it makes will be minimal and the water separator will extract it.4) What other advantages can I get from this transfer tank? Main tank fuel polishing. I will have a racor primary filter inline, one transfer pump, and 2 three way valves. I will be able to transfer fuel and fill the transfer tank from the main tank. I get fuel at a marina that has water in there storage tank and get water in my tank. I will be able to transfer the fuel from the main tank to the transfer tank polish it thru the Racor filter, removing the water. Then change the three way valves and filter the fuel coming out of the transfer tank back to main tank. The fuel going back in the main tank is clean water free fuel. Over kill yes, but I will be able to do it. How much will it cost ? Aluminum tank built to my specs, coast guard approved with labeling $420.00, transfer pump $150.00 to $200.00, 2, 3 way valves, coastguard approved fuel lines and fittings and thru hull vent $250.00 basically just over $1000.00. Is it worth it ? To me yes ! To most probably not. All higher HP Ranger/Cutwaters boats have a minimum of 100 gallons of fuel.
Brian Brown
Cutwater 26
PORT-A-GEE
