In Matt O'Toole writes:
On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 02:44:56 +0000, wrote:
Hello; Love this forum, and I've been reading it for a while. I own a 24'
Bayliner which has a 50 gallon gas tank in the stern engine area. I wonder -
can additional fuel be towed on a large inflatable, like a Zodiac?
Adding larger fuel tanks is not a good idea - it diminishes performance. But
I wonder if with a raft - you could tow along a large fuel supply? Say
another 300 gallons or so?
Towing a load in a Zodiac will diminish performance a lot
more, plus adding potential points of failure and safety problems.
Currently, my boat is great for LI Sound and the CT River, etc. but 50
gallons doesn't go all that far. I like to have at least 20 gallons in
reserve so I go out using around 15, plan on using 15 to return, and
always have the 20 in the tank for safety - but 15 gallons 'out' doesn't
go very far. So I'm wondering about methods to increase fuel capacity.
20 extra gallons is not a big deal. Get a few jerry cans and tie them
down safely. For a more permanent solution, add a tank. With a
relatively common, mainstream boat you should have no trouble finding a
ready-made plastic tank that will fit somewhere.
Matt O.
I do not fancy an idea of loose jerrycans in my boat, so I would not
recommend them to others. If you for some reason decide to go with jerry
cans get a handy siphone pump, so you can get the fuel from one tank to
another without pouring it all over the cockpit. The boat might not
behave wery well in the waves without any power on.
The better idea would be to have another tank and then a fixed fuel
transfer pump to fill the tank you are using for driving.
- Lauri Tarkkonen