Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

[Captain Caveman]

I want to put an after market below-deck gas tank into my boat. I'm thinking about carving out some of the float foam in the rear and nestling the tank in there. Can anyone think of a reason that I shouldn't do this, beyond my boat being less bouyant if I take on water?

Are there any pitfalls to watch out for if I install a tank?

I'm using a 16 foot 1985 Fisher boat and a 1979 Evinrude 35hp outboard.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

You would be removing flotation from the end of the boat that needs it the most and at the same time adding weight. That said, properly installed, vented and grounded it would be ok.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

Check the available space below-deck and the dimensions of the tanks you are considering before you cut anything to make sure the tank will fit and be of the capacity you are looking for.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

Is this a dumb idea to remove flotation material? My initial thought is "yes - why would I want the boat to sink?" However, a small aluminum boat doesn't have float material in it. The entire bottom of my boat, below the deck, is filled with flotation material.

I guess the big question is: am I endangering my life by removing some of the flotation material to put in a 10gal gas tank?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

The GasTank will provide Flotation All by itself,......
Even with Gas in it, It's Lighter than Water....

I'd be more concerned as to whether there's enough Space it put 1 under the deck......

 

[rndn]

Re: Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

If you have room, you may try to place the tank farther forward to reduce the weight in the rear of the boat.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: Adding gas tank to 16' Fisher

I'm not too worried about the space, more the safety aspect. As you should be able to see in this picture, there are port and starboard flotation banks in the aft half of the boat. I was thinking that putting a tank in the port side would balance out my weight at the rear. There should be enough room for a rectangular tank, if I can find the right size.