gas tank too small!!

[Androoshk]

Hey guys i got 18' wellcraft center console. Jut got it. me and the buddies are wanting to do some longer trips farther than just the local rock piles and kelp beds and stuff. want to hit catalina and maybe even san clemente island. but we only have a 20 gallon gas tank. and its a 150hp evinrude motor. any suggestions on how to carry more fuel? spare gas tank on board, fuel bags....etc?? even thinking about putting a bigger gas tank in but have no idea how much that would cost.

[Trout-Tuna-For.Me]

Androo...
I'd first check for spaces where you could fit more tanks, like under the side rails on both sides like saddle tanks....that could be another 20 gals alone. Or under the floor like a belly tank.
Good Luck
TTFM

[Androoshk]

thnx ttfm!you have any idea how much those cost and where i could get them? also, do you have to pull them out and dump them in the gas tank, or could you just run a fuel line from the fuel bladder to the outboard?

[Thisfool]

i think almost all of catalina just got closed to fishing so you might want to check on that.

[dixoncider]

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=27804&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10106&subdeptNum=10443&classNum=10445

[DockRat]

i think almost all of catalina just got closed to fishing so you might want to check on that. :ROFL:

5 Gal plastic cans. On my buddies boat we bring 6.
Bungee cord them together. Bring a big funnel.

About $7 each at Walmart. http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r73/salem21_2006/gas_can.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j57/jiggawh0/gas20can.gif DR

[karlow]

My question is after covering the deck with the extra fuel, Where are you going to fish from? Three guys on a 18ft boat? What kind of fuel mileage do you get now with that rig? I have a 20ft Skippy she only gets a bit over 2 MPG. 60 gal + 12 on the deck. I can fish the Island, but only Cat. You calculate 1/3 to get there, 1/3 to get back, & 1/3 for WTF! Take your range and divide by three, that is as far as you can fish. So what will she do on 20 gal? That's the first question.

[DockRat]

My question is after covering the deck with the extra fuel, Where are you going to fish from? Three guys on a 18ft boat? What kind of fuel mileage do you get now with that rig? I have a 20ft Skippy she only gets a bit over 2 MPG. 60 gal + 12 on the deck. I can fish the Island, but only Cat. You calculate 1/3 to get there, 1/3 to get back, & 1/3 for WTF! Take your range and divide by three, that is as far as you can fish. So what will she do on 20 gal? That's the first question.

Good questions. My buddys boat holds 70 gal then on long runs he brings 6 @ 5 gal plastic cans we put in the front and we fish in the rear.

The best way to get more range is to install a Flowscan flowmeter and another fuel tank.

Then you can adjust your RPMs, then motor trim, and trim tabs to get the best mileage.

By getting the boat and tabs tuned for the least amount of gallons per hour fuel consumption.

Eliminate Guesswork. On my friends boat he tunes it in by ear and feel which is usually wrong.

http://www.floscan.com/html/blue/recreationalmarine.php

FloScan Fuel Computers show exact fuel use
FloScan Fuel Computers show exactly how much fuel you've used, and how fast you're using it. Rather than trying to measure what's sloshing around in your tanks, FloScan's electronic sensors determine fuel flow right at your engine. And the computerized display indicates precise consumption totals. There's no guesswork. Unlike fluctuating fuel tank float gauges, you receive immediate, accurate data. No matter how rough the seas, no matter how many tanks or engines in your boat.

For less than the cost of a tow
A FloScan Fuel Computer pays for itself in fuel savings alone. You can easily set your boat's most efficient speed by watching your FloScan to see how fuel usage varies at different speeds and running conditions. Most skippers can save 10%-15% on their fuel bill, so the serious fisherman/cruise can pay for his FloScan in less than a season. Something else to consider: a FloScan Fuel Computer costs less than a typical tow if you run out of fuel. (Think of it as an insurance policy with an automatic dividend of more fishing and real dollar savings).

Monitors your boat's heartbeat
A FloScan Fuel Computer serves as a watchdog on engine performance. For example, if your GPH or MPH increases from what you've already determined to be a efficient operating level, you'll know something's amiss - nicked prop, fouled hull, engine problem, etc. Even something as simple as a defective spark plug can up your fuel consumption by 20-40%, with no other noticeable change in engine operation.

Trusted observer
With the same opto-electronic technology used by the safety-driven aviation industry (FloScan's are virtually the only fuel flow sensors given FAA approval for use in general aviation aircraft), our marine fuel computers have a scant margin of error of less than 2% with on-board calibration. Tough, durable components like sapphire rotor bearings, precision aluminum die-castings, and gold-plated detectors perform in seas nasty enough to drive barracudas below decks.

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FloScan has a model for just about every gasoline engine built, from single outboards to high-performance inboards. And our diesel models are the first affordable diesel fuel monitoring systems in the marine world, priced about 75% less than any comparable competitive product. We'll match the system to your engine. All we need is your engine make, model number, and hp rating.

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We've been connected to some well-known engines. FloScan is the world's #1 producer of fuel flow sensor systems - over 500,000 used on cars, trucks, boats, and airplanes. (As a matter of fact, we invented them for each of these industries). Mercury Marine uses our fuel flow instruments to test engines. So does Power and Motoryacht Magazine for their boat test reports.

[karlow]

The fouled plug makes her run a bit rough at idle. and she was burning 30% more fuel. That's what the Flowscan says. All the way to Catalina on 7 cly. Hell I had to clean the plug and buy some dam expensive gas there.

[TUNAVIC]

Ive got the same boat see avitar, I bought a 27gal above deck square gas tank from west marine, if I recall it was about 100bucks,I put it in front of the center console in between seat and step up deck,then I built a water proof box that inclosed it and put an inspection port on top to fuel thru,works great!

Cya Tuna Vic

[fishinone]

TUNAVIC's response looks like a good idea.

I found a lot of information about my boat (Winner 1850) on the iboats forum. Mine has a huge open space under the floor below the drivers seat where I could install another tank.

Here's the iboats forum for WellCraft.

http://forums.iboats.com/Wellcraft_Boats

[DockRat]

The fouled plug makes her run a bit rough at idle. and she was burning 30% more fuel. That's what the Flowscan says. All the way to Catalina on 7 cly. Hell I had to clean the plug and buy some dam expensive gas there.

How much was the Gas at Catalina ?
DR