certificate of compliance?

[warren631]

Coast Guard Aux Vessel Safety site says: "Boats with closed fuel tank compartments built after 1 August 1978 must meet requirements by displaying a "certificate of compliance."

I just bought a 1988 MacGregor 26 D. It has an outboard motor with the fuel tank in the rear lazarette next to the outboard which has a hatch. Where is the "certificate of compliance". Is it supposed to be printed on the boat somewhere by the manufacturer? Where do I get a "certificate of compliance" to display?

[Texlan]

The laz is not a fuel tank compartment, and fuel should not be stored there without significant modification (blowers, sealing the area off from the cabin, ignition safe electronics (if you have any,) etc.

I keep my 3 gal tank in the foot well when I have the 9.9 on the boat.

[warren631]

I don't think I have a "foot well" on my 26D. Where is that? My fuel tank is in the "storage compartment" right next to the outboard well (laz?). Its the only logical place for the fuel tank right next to the outboard. The only other possible locations are on the cockpit floor where it would take up valuable space and be a trip hazard, or in the cabin under a seat with long fuel lines running through the cabin. MacGregor provided an access hole between the "storage compartment" and the outboard well for the fuel line and electric power.

[bobflshmn]

I don't think I have a "foot well" on my 26D. Where is that? My fuel tank is in the "storage compartment" right next to the outboard well (laz?). Its the only logical place for the fuel tank right next to the outboard. The only other possible locations are on the cockpit floor where it would take up valuable space and be a trip hazard, or in the cabin under a seat with long fuel lines running through the cabin. MacGregor provided an access hole between the "storage compartment" and the outboard well for the fuel line and electric power.

My 88 also came with the tank mounted in the Laz. There is also a blower mounted in the laz to vent as well as a plumbed vent tube to connect the tank vent to.

[Jeff]

My Dad's 26S which is similar to the D has the same compartment next to the outboard well but the only thing he has in it is the battery. He uses a 3 gallon or 6 gallon fuel tank which fits nicely in the cockpit underneath the tiller without sacrificing too much space.

[warren631]

Back to my original question - where do I get the "certificate of compliance"?

[Jeff]

Bottom line there is no such certificate for the Mac 26D, someone may have modified your boat & put the fuel tank in the lazarette. You could probably not even get the coast guard to give you a written exception unless you did as other posters have done & put a proper vent blower in the lazarette like inboard powerboats have. No problem if you choose to keep your fuel tank there as many on this forum have done just that, but you will not get nor find an "official" certificate as the lazarette on the Mac was not designed by manufacturer to hold fuel, no matter how convenient for that purpose.

[Jeff]

No problem if you choose to keep your fuel tank there as many on this forum have done just that.

One caveat, no problem if you properly vent lazarrette.

[Tomfoolery]

Is a blower required if the laz only has a portable fuel tank and no electrics of any kind? I know why they're required below decks with Inboard gas engines but for an outboard with a portable tank that has to be removed to fill and nothing else in there, is it actually required? And if so, why? Wouldn't a couple of passive vents serve the same purpose?

I'm usually a stickler for safety rules like these, by the way (like rules on storing LPG), but I'm not seeing the reason for powered ventilation in this case. My X has two portable tank lockers, and the only difference I can see is the size of the 'vents'.

[warren631]

What kind of fan do I need (I would not like to mix gas vapors with an electric fan which could overheat, short out or cause a spark). Also does the fan need to run 24/7/365 whenever there is fuel in the tank?

[Mike C.]

I have a 26D and I keep the fuel tank under the tiller handle on the floor of the cockpit ( as mentioned above). The space it takes is not really used for peoples feet anyhow. I sit forward toward the end of the tiller. I am going to build a small "table top", as I have seen on many boat mod pages, that sits over the tank, and add a few much needed cup holders

[paul I]

I think the key here may be the description of "closed fuel tank compartment". I'm not sure what the rest of you guys have, but my cockpit fuel compartments are not closed. They do have a fabric cover but are very free to vent.

[Interim]

As has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, gas vapors are heavy and will pool in the bottom of the lazarette. Venting it before running anything sparky in there gets started is important.

But I agree with the notion that if the Laz is passively vented, and sealed from the saloon, and nothing electrical is in there, why would you need to add an electric fan?

--john

[Highlander]

I believe that rule is for built in fuel tanks not for portable tanks but adding passive vents is a very cheap mod

J