Britton's Fuel Tank

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:23 pm

Just a random thought today. Is there a Triton out there with more fuel capacity than this 27 gallon tank? I think Allen and I might have set the record. We are practically famous!

-Britton

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:37 pm

bcooke wrote: We are practically famous!

Indeed. And when other people start mentioning it, then you can even remove the "practically" part.

Rachel

PS: Of course I would love one of those fuel tanks. Not that I'm bitter ;)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:12 pm

You have to decide to keep your engine first :-)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:03 pm

On a slightly more serious note, I wanted to paint my tank and I remember a USCG link from another thread suggesting an epoxy paint. I have worked with some pretty toxic spray epoxy paints at work and I also see epoxy spray paint in an aerosol can at the local hardware store. I have neither the equipment nor the inclination to go with the expensive toxic stuff. Is the hardware store variety worth considering?

Krylon was my first thought before considering an epoxy based paint (any boat nerds want to expound on the differences?). Sadly, I have already lost the bright shiny aluminum look forever by painting the tank with green zinc chromate primer.

Really, I was just looking for some additional corrosion protection and a bright red color that screams (Hey! This stuff goes BOOM! Don't light that cigarette here!)

-Britton

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:12 pm

*gasp* gasp* cough...

Apparently, a little touch-up of zinc chromate primer from an aerosol can is not such a good idea when the air inlet to the oil furnace is six feet away...

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:41 pm

Drama queen.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:16 pm

(of course I'm mostly kidding, but what is this the fifth time you've seriously endangered yourself for your boat?? Invest with sweat, not blood!*)

I think the aerosol epoxy paints are fine. I suspect that they're a water-based epoxy, cured via atmospheric moisture, and are therefore inferior to 2-part paints, but really how long do you need this tank to last?

*says the guy who, weekend before last, spent a half hour cleaning previously frozen blood spatters from the bilge.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:52 pm

Frozen blood splatters?...

but really how long do you need this tank to last?

I try to engineer for around a 50 year lifespan. I figure if Pearson can make a boat using their sloppy methods that lasts 40 years I should be able to go 50 with no problem. Plus, I will most likely be dead or drooling uncontrollably by the 50 year deadline and I really won't care much after that.

Well, I wasn't trying to imply that I was on death's door. I was just expressing a moment personal education. FWIW, anyone that has roomates or otherwise cohabitating might want to think about circulation patterns before spraying indoors.

There may be a reason I live alone.

(now I gotta run. The furnace just shut down and I have twenty minutes before it starts up again...)

-Britton

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:13 pm

what? am I the only one with a bloody bilge, or am I just the only one who admits it?

It's so common that I don't even bother to retain details of such incidents. I think these specific spatters were from trimming the tails of the ginormous zipties that secure the waterlift. Something took a slice out of a finger, which was too numb to notice at the time, so minutes passed before I actually saw the blood and fashioned a band-aid from a hunk of paper towel and some masking tape.
Cleaning the frozen blood was futile, so it remained for weeks until a thaw.

Post by **Tim** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:17 am

Figment wrote:ginormous

That's it. You're officially on "ginormous" probation. Heed this decree, or suffer the dire consequenses thereunto!

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:48 am

That's ridonkulous!
My use of the term "ginormous" has consistently been used in reference to these particular zipties! Attaching some other label to them might lead to confusion. Clarity, over all.

Post by **dasein668** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:16 am

Censure! Censure! hehe

Shark · Post by **Shark** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:17 pm

Figment said:

I actually saw the blood and fashioned a band-aid from a hunk of paper towel and some masking tape.

I prefer a combination of either paper towel or a piece of moderately clean rag wrapped with black vinyl electrical tape. But I realize these things are a matter of personal taste.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:28 pm

Today was fuel tank installation day. I have more work to do but this gives everyone an idea and keeps the picture hounds off my back for a couple of days (hopefully)

First, the cleaned out under cockpit area (whatever that is really called - bilge seems wrong). I put a little bilgecote under where the tank is just so I would feel good knowing there is paint where I will never see it again.

And from the same angle after the tank was put in.

To secure the tank I used wooden blocks (fir) spaced around the tank. I thought a lot about building blocks for the tank to sit on but 1.) they would have been a pain to build. 2.) Every time I looked at the tank it looked fine just sitting on the hull. The tank profile fits pretty good against the hull with just enough gap to keep water from accumulating (I think). The blocks are epoxy coated all around and glued in with some adhesive filler added to the epoxy mix. I have a single layer of biax tape over the blocking. Because I wonder how it will all work if the boat finds itself pounding on its side for a while I think I am going to add more layers of biax tape. Does it need it? Probably not but it is easy piece of mind. I will probably regret it if and when the tank needs to come out someday in the far far future.

Also, I am thinking I will fit a couple of blocks that will jam between the top of the tank and the bottom of the cockpit sole to keep the tank firmly down. I really don't want this thing jumping around.

Here is another shot looking through the starboard locker. The photo shows how far I let the tank intrude into the space. When I was designing the tank I thought about widening the tank but it gets really shallow past the point I chose and there wasn't much to be gained and installation got trickier. I am pretty happy with the compromise so far. Note also that I have a starboard locker now. The original fuel tank occupied almost the entire locker before.

And finally, a shot through the cockpit sole access hatch (still the best mod I ever did). I still have adequate access to the water pump, propeller shafting, and cockpit drain seacocks. The fuel outlet and in-tank fuel quantity guage is still taped up for now.

I painted the tank with zinc chromate primer and regular Krylon red spray paint. The paint isn't terribly durable and got a little scratched up during installation. I don't think paint is really necessary on an aluminum tank anyway. I just did it for looks.

So I will probably add some tabbing, clean it all up, paint the area with white bilgecote and route my new fuel lines. I am switching to exterior cosmetic stuff on the boat so it might be awhile before I post a final update.

Thanks for looking and check back soon! :-)

-Britton

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed May 30, 2007 7:24 pm

Nice mod! One can never have too many cockpit lockers.

The red is very spiffy.

Rachel

Post by **dasein668** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:08 pm

Looks good, Britton. I think the blocks you put in are probably strong enough as it, but as you say: cheap peace of mind. I would agree with either blocking between the tank and cockpit sole, or adding some heavy duty straps?since you are at least planning for the potential for offshore work, I believe (right?)

Thanks for the pics!

Post by **Tim** » Thu May 31, 2007 6:09 am

Looks good, Britton. I would definitely add some straps or other means of holding the tank down in position. Blocking will work fine if that's what you like.

If you use metallic straps, be sure to isolate them from any direct contact wiht the tank with some neoprene or other product.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:01 am

A RED fuel tank!!? I suppose you're going to start referring to it as a "fuel cell" next? Fitting the coamings with JATO boosters?

I can just see it now... "Jenny" in 30-inch letters on the side of the hull with custom-airbrushed flame graphics.

sigh. Well, at least the tank will match the hose clamp tail covers.

OK, enough smart-alecky-ness out of me. Nice work. =)

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:19 am

Looks great Britton! :)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Thu May 31, 2007 3:18 pm

A RED fuel tank!!?

Well, let's see,... red is the internationally accepted color for gasoline containers. Red also stands out in a white interior and implies a sense of danger. Considering that there is enough explosive power in that tank to send me, my boat, and anyone in a 30 foot radius to a barbequed afterlife quicker than you can blink an eye, I figured red was probably a decent choice.

And I know you are kidding and giving me a hard time. :-)

Just for the record though, I am not too excited about carrying a liquid fueled bomb in my boat. Yes, they are safe given proper safety conditions but still, I wish my engine could run on water instead (then I would paint the tank light blue)

-Britton

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:25 pm

Okay, after some more thinking I want to go with straps instead to hold the tank down.

It occured to me that the cockpit sole will flex a bit with several people in the cockpit. Iif I simply use a wedge between the cockpit sole and fuel tank then the tank will become, by default, a structural support for the sole. I don't want that.

I am lazy. Anyone got a source for the strapping?

-Britton

Post by **Tim** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:46 am

McMaster-Carr has whatever you need, from 304SS metal banding to myriad other possible choices. If you use metal strapping, remember that you must isolate it from the tank with neoprene, waterproof rubber, or similar.

I used Kevlar strapping to secure Kaholee's similar tank. Details can be found on the Kaholee project pages.