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Fuel Onboard

bearbait1 - 10-12-2007 at 10:08 AM

Hi all, I will be bringing an 18' Bayrunner with a 2 stroke 55hp Suzuki to Baja in the spring. I am considering building a permanent fuel tank to get rid of the clutter of the portable tanks. For anyone with a similar setup, how much fuel should I plan on keeping onboard for a days fishing with 1 way runs to the fishing grounds of up to 30-40 miles? Also where would you suggest putting the fuel tank? I am considering putting it under the center console to move some weight out of the stern? Do you find that the bow is too light?
Thanks

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 10:45 AM

You bought it, awesome!

I have the same boat, and it runs best with the weight as far back a possible.

Tinker around with it though. I would not put the tank all the way to the bow though.

bearbait1 - 10-12-2007 at 11:17 AM

Thanks Minnow, I haven't even been able to put it in the water yet. The day I got it back I busted shore ice with an axe for 20 minutes so I could put it in a lake and run it. After clearing a launching lane I found that the shifting cable was frozen and ice is forming fast here so I won't even be able to put it in the water before I head south. How much fuel do you carry? I spent 2 years in Vegas, my condolences to you!

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bearbait1
I spent 2 years in Vegas, my condolences to you!

Look at it this way, it is closer to Baja. :lol:

My tank is 30 gallons and I can/have done about 150 miles with that much gas. MDR to Catalina, around the island and back. About 85 miles of it was WFO. That was in the Pacific. You will do better in SOC. Oh, yeah I have a 50 Hp Yamaha. Good luck and have fun. Where you fishing that you will have runs of 30-40 miles each way?

bearbait1 - 10-12-2007 at 11:33 AM

I'll be in east cape and certainly don't intend to normally run that far. I just want the capability if needed occasionally. Do you have a built-in tank, if so where is it? When I lived in Las Vegas our best entertainment was going to a 4 or 6 lane boat ramp on Lake Mead and finding a shady spot to watch. We saw a few sinkings, the beginnings of many divorces, and hundreds of heated explanations of which way was left and which was right and how to make the trailer go that way. By the way, most boats take about 20 minutes to sink without a plug.

[Edited on 10-12-2007 by bearbait1]

[Edited on 10-12-2007 by bearbait1]

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 11:41 AM

:lol:

That is no mierda. The best entertainment in Vegas for sure. :lol:

That is so damn funny. My wife and I are laughing our burro's off right now. Damn, you just made my day.

If you go when it is really hot there are fist fights. And this is not lie, Now there are only two real ramps on the west side of the lake. Calville, and Lake Mead marina. The wait to launch and retrieve is long on weekends. It was so bad last time we were there, my wife and I swore if we ever did go on a weekend again we were going to bring a video camera and put it on U-Tube. :spingrin:

I figured the boating lobby would pay us big bucks to take it down. :lol:

One time I saw a lady sink the boat, trailer, and the truck. The brakes gave out after they had the boat strapped to the trailer, and the whole works slowly slid into the lake as the hysterical lady tried to get out of the truck via the window.

bearbait1 - 10-12-2007 at 11:48 AM

I wasn't kidding, we would go to just watch. I never saw a truck sink but saw 2 boats drug up the ramp after forgeting to remove the winch line, one made it about30-40 yards before the woman driving heard the screams of her husband in the boat. I believe that was one of the "seeds of divorce" we saw. My kids learned some new words once the husband got out of the boat.

BajaBruno - 10-12-2007 at 12:00 PM

I have a 20' Bayrunner with a 75HP Honda and a rather large bait tank. I get about 1 liter per NM with much of the day at trolling speed (8-10k), though the fuel use is much better at planing speed. I'm not sure how that would translate to your smaller 2 stroke. I never run WOT, as I think it's hard on the motor life.

60-80 NM RT is not an unusual day for me, and I have plenty of reserve. With Minnow's input in mind, you might consider just carrying a couple of 5 gallon jerry jugs on board, so you can move them as you see fit, since with a bait tank, gear and a person or two on board, weight distribution can markedly effect the trim of the boat. You may find you don't need any auxiliary fuel at all and it's a lot easier to take off two jerry jugs than a permanently installed tank.

Having said that, I may be misreading your post--are you saying you only have portable tanks? If that is the case, I would suggest you send a note to Klamath Boats http://www.klamathboats.com/index.html (they now have the Valco line), and see what they recommend. Their catalog shows that the 18' comes standard with an 18 gallon below deck fuel tank, but they would be the best resource for placement of any fixed tank.

bearbait1 - 10-12-2007 at 12:11 PM

Thanks Bruno, the boat only has portable 12 gal tanks. I also will be putting in a bait tank so I am trying to figure out how to keep things balanced. I will have some moveable ballast with me but sometimes she won't stay where I tell her when it gets rough,women :?:

. Good idea about talking to the factory.

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 12:12 PM

Bruno, I don't normally run wide open either, because it effects gas consumption and if you throttle back just a little you get way better mileage, but I wanted to make it across the channel as fast a possible while the conditions were optimal. I agree with the jerry can theory.

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 12:13 PM

bait, you are funny. :bounce:

BajaBruno - 10-12-2007 at 12:21 PM

I sympathize, BearBait--my moveable ballast tend to be a bit recalcitrant as well. Since the boat has no installed seating, everyone wants to sit on the gunwale, which puts a great deal of pressure on the steering and rolls the boat to wherever side they are sitting. I discourage that practice, but it happens nonetheless. Sometimes a well-placed approach into a quartering wave will solve the problem.

Martyman - 10-12-2007 at 01:22 PM

Hey Guys;
Got a used 16' bayrunner with a 40hp Johnson. The guy I bought it from said to keep the weightier things in the bow but now I'm hearing "keep weight in stern". Stern makes more sense to me. What are your thoughts about this?
Have taken it out twice and coming down to baja next month. I only have a portable 6 gallon tank and will bring an extra gallon to get home.
Thanks

tripledigitken - 10-12-2007 at 02:32 PM

Do they install trim tabs on the Bayrunner's? Sounds like they might help. I understand the cost is probably a factor.

Ken

bearbait1 - 10-12-2007 at 02:39 PM

I imagine trim tabs would be a good addition but I am trying to keep this boat as cheap and simple as possible.

Diver - 10-12-2007 at 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Martyman
Hey Guys;
Got a used 16' bayrunner with a 40hp Johnson. The guy I bought it from said to keep the weightier things in the bow but now I'm hearing "keep weight in stern". Stern makes more sense to me. What are your thoughts about this?
Have taken it out twice and coming down to baja next month. I only have a portable 6 gallon tank and will bring an extra gallon to get home.
Thanks

If it's like my tin boat, you will find that it planes a bit faster with someone or some weight forward in the boat. (Assuming you are astern.) A few times when I have been out alone and run into wind and seas, I have had to beach and put a bucket or 2 of sand in the bow to keep the bow from blowing off course.

.

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 03:06 PM

you can always pull the plug and let a few hundred gallons of water in the boat, throw everything that is not nailed down in the bow, and plow on home. Might be a problem trying to get the wife to ride up there though. :lol:

BajaBruno - 10-12-2007 at 06:22 PM

There are fixed (rather than adjustable) trim tabs on the market (much less cost, I suppose) and I have thought about installing those to help the "woman sitting on the gunwale" issue I described above. I've used the adjustable types on my bigger boats and they work great, but I've never used the fixed type.

Any observations are welcome.

Minnow - 10-12-2007 at 06:25 PM

They are called Doelfin's.

BajaBruno - 10-12-2007 at 07:49 PM

Minnow,
The only Doel-Fin that I am aware of is a hydrofoil that mounts on the trim plate of the outboard, or outdrive--that is not what I meant. I meant the fixed trim tabs that are just like the adjustable version, but non-adjustable. There is one company that also makes an absorbed model that adjusts as the water pressure increases. http://www.rocketflap.com/dodont.php

Norm - 10-13-2007 at 07:20 AM

We had a 18" boat ,I built a alumimun gas tank , put it in the bow,held 30 gallons & we have been all over baja with this set up...Had a live well in the back + A 75 HP EVENRUDE . The boat worked good all the time with two of us, ever in big water .Got lots of nice tuna or what ever we were fishing for !!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~BUILD THAT TANK ~ :light:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alan - 10-13-2007 at 08:37 AM

My preference is that my boat always has more range than I do. :lol:

I'm not familiar with your boat but is it possible to build a wide, long flat tank in the bilge area that could be covered with flooring? In this way you could distribute the weight over as large an area as possible without having to step around or over it when on a fish.

4baja - 10-15-2007 at 06:46 AM

my boats built inn holds 80 gallons but i bought a 30 gallon spare from cabellos that can be moved anywere around the boat. i plumed into a threeway valve so it allso runs my kicker. good luck.

Hook - 10-15-2007 at 09:12 AM

The center console is NOT a good option for a permanent tank if there is any electrical connections in there, which I expect there must be.

Minnow - 10-15-2007 at 09:15 AM

Yeah, Hook. It is usually a good idea to keep the gas and electric separated.

bearbait1 - 10-15-2007 at 10:55 AM

I've decided to build a 25-30 gal stainless tank under the center console. Thanks for the warning about keeping the electrical stuff away I will keep it in mind.

Minnow - 10-15-2007 at 11:12 AM

Check out the Boaters world dot com. They sell belly tanks that will probably fit the bill.

Hook - 10-15-2007 at 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bearbait1
I've decided to build a 25-30 gal stainless tank under the center console. Thanks for the warning about keeping the electrical stuff away I will keep it in mind.

So, where will the filler be?

Personally, if the boat is expected to have trim tabs and/or an electric trim/tilt system, I'd mount it directly in front of the console. Seems like most tin boats I've been on could always use more weight up front for stabilization and a little more "presence" running into chop. There are plastic Tempos as high as 28 gallons, I believe.

A lot will depend on where the bait tank would be mounted. If in back, then definitely get the fuel tank forward of the console.

[Edited on 10-15-2007 by Hook]

comitan - 10-15-2007 at 03:18 PM

I give my vote to Hook! In that boat you need the weight forward. With rough water and a wind from the side that boat you'll have the helm into the wind all the time. The wind will push you sideways.

Minnow - 10-15-2007 at 03:52 PM

Hook, and Comitan. What kind of aluminum boats do you have?

bearbait1 - 10-15-2007 at 04:08 PM

Thanks for the comments. This boat is not a true walk around center console, it has bench seats like smaller tin boats. The center console is mounted on the middle seat. The space under the seat is filled with foam, this is where I will put the tank. The filler neck will be right next to the center console. Other midifications will have space to replace the foam that was removed to achieve the same bouancy. I want to place the tank under the seat to free up deck space, I hate a cluttered deck. I will build a 30 gal baitwell that will sit about 3 feet forward of the transom. An ice chest and 5 gal fuel can for the kicker will sit forward of the console and can be moved all the way forward if needed for better weight distribution.

comitan - 10-15-2007 at 04:10 PM

Minnow

Guess what don't have one now got smart got fiberglass, but after years on Baja beaches with all makes, and you have all the time in the world you discuss boats, and if my memory is correct the 18ft Bayrunner has a high bow, and the complaints were that the boat had a tendency to fall off in a heavy wind. I think there were other complaints but I don't remember.

Minnow - 10-15-2007 at 04:44 PM

Bait. Can you post a picture of your interior layout?

Comitan. I have seen many different configurations of the interior of the 18ft bayrunners. I am sure none is perfect for all conditions.

Hook - 10-15-2007 at 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Minnow
Hook, and Comitan. What kind of aluminum boats do you have?

Dont. Just basing this on the ones I have been on. Like I said.

Given that he has the benches, I think he's got a good idea. Easy to route a filler and the center console compartment can be completely separate from the below-bench tank.

[Edited on 10-16-2007 by Hook]

Roberto - 10-15-2007 at 05:23 PM

I would be careful with a stainless tank in an aluminum boat due to the likelihood of Galvanic action, what with the presence of saltwater, etc.

bearbait1 - 10-16-2007 at 10:00 AM

Comitan, I have never run an 18' bayrunner but my guess is that you are right, the high bow will be suseptable to winds, that's a trade off for the light weight. I've yet to find a perfect boat.

Minnow, I don't have any pictires and right now every thing that can be removed from the boat has been taken out, center console, floor boards, seats, foam, the whole works. The floorboards were water logged, as was some of the foam. Under the floorboards I found #10 of leaves and a few small cracks, nothing major.

Roberto, thanks for bring up dissimilar metal corrosion, I hadn't thought about that. I can easily keep the tank insulated from the aluminum with UHMW plastic

I'm still debating whether I will build a T-top or use a bimini that I already have from a previous boat.

[Edited on 10-16-2007 by bearbait1]

BajaBruno - 10-16-2007 at 12:38 PM

Bear, the UHMW plastic is a good idea. I am planning to use that or a similar product to insulate all the stainless that goes through the hull of my Bayrunner, which is mainly at the transom. I'm seeing galvanic corrosion at those spots, just as I did on the aluminum mast of my sailboat.

AcuDoc - 10-16-2007 at 08:36 PM

I have a 16.5 Klamath center console 50hp 4 stroke tin boat. I mounted a 13 gal portable tank as far in the front as I could and ran a line aft. I also have a 6 gal. tank in the stern. I installed a valve so I can switch from tank to tank. The bow tank also helps offset the weight of a 13 gal bait tank in the stern as well.

Hook knows my boat well and we have both fished it many times together. The tank in the bow has never been in the way. Right behind it is a large cooler, then the center console. I think he will agree it runs very well. Also have trim tabs.

Hook - 10-16-2007 at 10:06 PM

Well, Doc, it's never been in the way because we have never had to deploy the anchor. If we did, it would quickly be IN THE WAY.

The weight sure does help up there, though, but I doubt I'd consider it without trim/tilt.

Do you have tabs or just electric trim/tilt?

bearbait1 - 10-17-2007 at 10:33 AM

Just trim and tilt

AcuDoc - 10-17-2007 at 03:41 PM

Trim and tilt...and you are right if we had to throw an anchor it could be done but a little hassle. Check my post on Barts board for todays no fish report...