Beginners with Fuel Storage

[MDemaree]

My wife and I just purchased our first boat, a ''79 Catalina 25. All of our sailing previously has been on sailboats with no motors or fuel. Our C25 has a shelf in the aft end of the cockpit port locker with a vent directly adjacent to it (off the stern) which we run the fuel hose out to the outboard. It seems as if there would be sufficient venting for this primary tank. But what about a spare tank? The port cockpit is a dumpster and I am afraid that it is not vented well enough to store an extra fuel tank. Should we even be storing an extra tank of gas on board? Can the tank be closed up all the time, or does it need to be opened when being used? We would appreciate any help someone can offer on these basic fuel questions and any suggestions for dealing with fuel in general?

[Jeff_H]

Ideally portable gas tanks should be stored in sealed lockers vented top and bottom directly to the atmosphere. This is pretty typical of new outboard powered well. Older boats often had tanks stored in lockers that were not sealed but had intake and exhaust vents with the intake venting high and the exhaust at the lowest point of the bilge. When the tanks are stored within the interior volume of the boat, the boat should have explosion proof switches, bilge blower and bilge pump. The bilge blower should be run 5 minutes before starting the engine, the bilge should be sniffed for fumes and then the engine started. If you store fuel within the interior volume of the boat, The blower should run the entire time the engine runs whether you are using the interior tank or not. The tank vent needs to be open when you are using the tank to supply fuel to the engine of the engine will vacuum lock. When I had an outboard powered boat, I carried the spare tank on deck in the atmosphere. Its not a great solution but it worked.

Jeff

[hamiam]

For about $10 you can goto to West Marine, buy a jerry jug made for carrying gas, and lash it to a stantion. This will eliminate your venting issue on your spare "tank."

[wwilson]

I have a similar storage issue with a small outboard gasoline tank for the tender. The boat''s LPG locker is large enough to carry the 2-gallon plastic tank as well as the 2 gas bottles. I have been uncertain about caring it there, so I have not. It is of course vented at the base, but probably inadequately at the top to achieve proper ventilation flow for gasoline storage. Does anyone have any information whether or not LPG and gasoline can be safely stored together? If it is practical, where can I find the recommended ventilation volume flow-through specs so I can properly modify the locker?

[dimwit]

I have a 70''s Catalina with the fueltank shelf under the port lazarrete as well. My primary tank goes there. I store a spare, plastic gas tank in the cockpit, lashed up against the transom. It''s never in the way (no one ever needs that space for footroom), though it does bring weight up and to the rear. The trade-off in ventilation concerns is worth it to me, and I don''t consider it unsightly.

[Fran49829]

I cruise a Freedom 21 and carry 8 gal of gasoline in the fuel locker and 6 gal in a plastic gas can which I put in the aft end of the cockpit next to the transom. My Honda 5 will run full blast for 28 hours on 14 gal.