gas tanks

[Tom Spohn]

Definition of "permanent" from CG site: "There are permanently installed fuel tanks. (Fuel tanks secured so they cannot be moved in case of fire or other emergency are considered permanently installed. There are no gallon capacity limits to determine if a fuel tank is portable. If the weight of a fuel tank is such that persons on board cannot move it, the Coast Guard considers it permanently installed"

Definition found on section governing fire extinguisher requirements. I would say that my M with nylon straps holding two 12 gal tanks has "permanent" tanks.

[Andy26M]

What USCG reg does having two 12 gallon tanks break?

It can't be the venting rule, because both of my tanks have vents and those vents obviously lead outside the boat, since the tanks are in the cockpit.

As to a portable tank having to be moveable by "anyone" on board, I think the rule would have some more specific definition, else anyone who travels with small children would be limited to quart bottles of gas...

- Andy26M

[Tom Spohn]

Here is more info from a Washington State site on fuel tanks:

http://www.boatwashington.org/require.htm

Since I live in western WA, it would seem that to be able to fuel the tanks (over 7 gals.) while in the boat they should also be grounded, which on a Mac is not so straight-forward since we don't have metal keels in the water.

Andy: I think the problem area might be the grounding, not the venting or the size of the tanks. But, I am no expert. Regarding MacGregor's responsibility, I read on the CG site that the manufacturer is responsible for the fuel system and engine, unless it is an outboard. OOOPS!

I will be having a vessel safety check this weekend and am curious what rules they will apply to the two 12 gal. tanks on my "M".

[Don B]

"As it turns out we have found a much better fender storage solution."


And what might that be ?

And by the way your tanks look nice in there.

-Don B

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I have 2 tempo ultra 6.5's and 2 tempo ultra 3.5's. In May, I did an 80 mile motoring trip and had to stop in a marina to get a few more gallons before being confident enough to go home. I would have liked to have 6-12 more gallons capacity. I've heard people say that they can fit a duratank 6 in the (unmodified) locker along with a 6.5 ultra. Does anyone have a picture of this setup that they could either post or email to me?

Also, has anyone found any online sellers of the Duratank or is the only way still to find a local OMC dealer?

[Mark Prouty]

Also, has anyone found any online sellers of the Duratank or is the only way still to find a local OMC dealer?

I recently purchased these tanks and found you have to go through an OMC dealer.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Mark,

The straps are surplus from a storage bag. You can buy the same webbing and buckles at any camping store or at West Marine. The mounting hardware is home made. I just cut off 4 - 3" chunks of aluminum flat bar. Stuck it in a vise and gave it a bit of a kink so it is raised where the straps go under, then drilled the holes and screwed them on. I have seen very similar kits like this for sale at the marine stores as battery hold down kits.

Frank,

I think the Tempo's are nearly a 1/4 of the price of the dura tanks. The lowest price I could find for them was almost $50 each x 4, I couldn't justify $200 for new fuel tanks. $60 was much better.

Don,

We now store four of the larger black G4 fenders in bags at the mid pulpit. I bought some cheap ($4) black mesh carry bags and attached them to the mid pulpit cross bar using cable ties. The opening is to the inside. Each will hold 2 fenders and their lines. It keeps them super handy yet completely out of the way. I looked at the stainless loop holders, but they were $80 a pop and not flexible. We used the bags on the pulpit for our entire 23 day trip and they worked great. The only thing I'm not really happy with is the look of the loose mesh bag hanging there when we are at a dock. This winter I am going to make two custom sunbrella bags that attach to the pulpit cross bar, have a separate pocket for each fender and a third pocket for the tails of the headsail sheets. (We find that the tails coming to our inside sheet bags wick water into the enclosure when it rains. I want to keep them all outside.) These new bags will look a lot better and they will also serve as spray shield for the lower front part of the cockpit. They are completely below the sight lines, keep any wet and dirty fenders out of the boat yet are ready to use instantly. We still keep 3 more of the smaller G3 fenders below at the outboard end of the cooler below for when we need extra protection such as rafting or in the locks.

I'm shooting and posting pictures of all these new mods at my web site today so soon you will be able to see a good picture, but you also can see the bags in many of the trip pictures already at the web site.

[Don B]

Duane,

Thanks ! I remember the locks on the Mohawk River near Albany,NY just full of razor sharp Zebra Mullosks.

Which reminds me that the Mohawk river was the first time I saw a Mac with the complete enclosed Dodger.

The couple were very nice to let my brother an I check it out. I think they were on their way to Canada at the time.

-Don B

[billbarchard]

I must have been mistaken when I said I saw 2 12 gallon tanks on a Mac with the withdrawel tube and filler on the same side. I have tried 2-6gallon tanks and 2-3 gallon tanks in the lockers,but the 3 gallon tanks were junk and both leaked all the time. The reason I want to carry more fuel is that the run from Pender to Princess Loisa is about 31 +8 miles. I have to fuel at Egmont where they change a lot for gas. I expect they may be as high as $2.00 canadian per litre this year as they were $1.20 per litre last year.I would prefer to fuel at Pender than pay those high prices.
Ican carry a 6gallon on end under the motor and it just fits ,But I carry stove fuel and oil in a locker that fits there.Our trips usually last 2 to 3 weels minimum so boat is usually loaded.
By the way my 1st mate found a fener solution. They are covered with legs from old pants--which stopes squeeking and are raised out of the water with a small "trip" line wich runs to the top wole in the forward stantion,then back accross the top to the cockpits.To raise the forward fender,simlply pull up the line and up comes the fender. PPS the slope of the 12 gallon tanks is such that I do not get all of the fuel out--so would prefer the fuel pick line on the inboard side.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Bill,

On our recent trip we covered exactly the ground you mention.

We still had enough fuel on board from our crossing of the Strait of Georgia from Nanoose to Pender Harbor so we went in through Agamemnon Channel and to Egmont Marina where we topped up. The price wasn't too bad there although we were surprised that it was even cheaper further up Sechelt at Bathgate Marina where we stopped for the night on the way out.

According to our GPS logbook we covered 46.36 nautical miles on the day we went in going from Duncans Cove in Pender Harbor to the dock at Chatterbox falls in Princess Louisa Inlet. That included the fuel stop in Egmont. It's a bit further than the 39 miles you mention. On the way out it was 34.85 nautical miles from our anchorage in front of Chatterbox falls to the Bathgate Marina.

We have a 50hp Tohatsu 2 stroke and we used 3-1/2 tanks, about 20 US gallons on the trip from Egmont, into Princess Louisa and back out to Bathgate. It was all done under power at 7-8 knots except in Princess Louisa Inlet where we only did 5 knots. Both trips through Malibu Rapids were at near slack with about 1-2knots of current with us. Both ways in and out Jervis we also had the tide going the same direction way we were. The passage in was in the afternoon and there were some strong headwinds against us. Our exit in the early morning hours was mostly calm.

I don't think even with the 4 tanks (24gallons) we have on board we could have gone from Pender Harbor into Princess Louisa and back out to Pender Harbor. (46 nautical miles x 2) Maybe we could squeek it out if we slowed to 6 knots so we are at hull speed. We do get about a mile more per gallon at that speed but it would be tight. If you have a four stroke it might be possible. I also have the 3 gallon tank for the dinghy set up with the same Tohatsu connectors even though the motor is a Yamaha. This gives me some back up fuel in the dinghy tank. It's premixed with oil but the Tohatsu can still burn it just fine. This also lets me use the dinghy motor on it's bracket as a backup and it can be connected to all 4 of the 6 gallon tanks as well.

I saw a fender thing similar to what you mention at the west marine store in seattle. It was a set of toggles that attached to the lifeline. You stick the toggles through the hole in each end of the fender and it holds it horizontal up under the lifeline. I almost went that route but I decided I didn't like having the fenders stored that high up where they were in the view forward. It also would have been tough to set up something for all four fenders. We set a minimum of three, usually all four on the dock side. One off the stern pulpit, one off the mid pulpit, and two on the life lines just behind and ahead of the chainplates.

[jcairy]

I just purchased a 2005M and am in the process of outfitting it. Will the 4 6-gallon OMC tanks fit the existing locker without modifying it? Any other suggestions for the M tanks? Thanks, Jack

[jcairy]

I just purchased a 2005M and am in the process of outfitting it. Will the 4 6-gallon OMC tanks fit the existing locker without modifying it? Any other suggestions for the M tanks? Thanks, Jack

[jcairy]

I just purchased a 2005M and am in the process of outfitting it. Will the 4 6-gallon OMC tanks fit the existing locker without modifying it? Any other suggestions for the M tanks? Thanks, Jack

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The M lockers are very different from those on an X. They have a lift up seat over them so you have a lot more tank options. I assume that since the Tempo 12 commonly used on the M also fits in the X locker and that the 4 duratanks fit in the X locker it would mean the 4 duratanks would also fit in the M space. I would think the 4 Tempo Value 6 tanks that I just modified the X locker to hold would also fit in an M locker, but you should test fit a pair first. The tempo tanks are a quarter of the price of the duratanks and the fill and takeoffs are more convienent as you can see in the pictures back on page 1.

[mike]

Just for the record, I did have to slightly modify the lockers in order to fit the Duratanks... I had to cut a rounded notch in the upper portion of the face in order for the tanks' caps and outlet ports to fit through.

Given this, I agree with Duane... I can't see much of a reason to not just go with the Tempo tanks.

--Mike