Sib fuel tank position

ian parkes · 09 March 2006, 20:31

My honda 3.8 has a strap in the centre under the thwart for the fuel tank .
Iam not that happy with this position as the fuel line is easily knocked off and the pipe trailing back to the engine is a pain .
I think I also made a mistake by swapping the standard 12.5 l tank for a 25 l.
No problem I shall just but a new 12.5 tank and keep the big one for any longer trips .

Where are the fuel tanks best positioned in other similar sized boats ?

Because the driver sits on the right and the passenger the other side and furthat forward I was thinking of positioning the fuel tank against the transom in the left corner , and shortening the fuel line. Is iether a good idea , i can see no reason for the any set length of fuel line will a really short one cause any problems ?

Also while iam on does the centre thwart have to be fitted , does it serve as as any sort of support for the tubes . It would be easier to use the boat most of the time without it .

codprawn · 09 March 2006, 20:39

Just chuck my fuel tank into the furthest corner against the transom.

As to the thwart in theory it will make the boat more rigid but I have used it with and without - no difference!!!

Tideway · 09 March 2006, 20:46

Hi ian,

I've not got very much experience in small inflatables (so take this or leave it), but is it worth trying to get the fuel/weight as far forward as possible? The small SIBs that I've been in seem to have alot of weight at the back and the bow tends to feel very light. One up, into small waves with head to wind, I'd want some weight forward. But, that is my personal opinion and comes from only about a dozen trips, so I will readily bow to the many on RIBNET with more direct knowledge.

have fun,

t

Phil Davies · 09 March 2006, 20:51

I do the same as Codders with my RibLite, which although not strictly a SIB, is about the same weight and rigidity. Fuel tank sits against the transom no problem, although I haven't bothered to shorten the fuel line, just coil it up and secure to top of tank with electrical tie. I suspect shortening it would be a better idea, though. I don't bother with the seat either, it just gets in the way and doesn't seem to add too much to the rigidity of the boat.

Tideway's point about the bow rising is valid, but the trim pin on my 8hp is set at the lowest setting and is very effective at keeping the bow down. Mind you, I weigh 11.5 stone, might be a different matter with a fat b*stard on board

ian parkes · 09 March 2006, 22:24

Thanks for replies

Interesting about opinion on wieght in the bow .

With 2 adults aboard if one sits right in the bow it seems to plow and gives a wet ride . moving the person from the bow back nearer the middle the boat performs much better and gets on the plane easier and stays there with a lot less throttle . I haven't been in it alone yet so keeping the option of moving the tank forward with a long fuel line is probably a good idea .

Does anyone ever use a tiller extension ?

The honda does seem to have a high bow with a much deeper V than the other sibs I looked at so wether that makes the wieght distribution different I am not sure .

I have just got some inflatable launching rollers and the intention is to double their use and strap one or two in the middle in line with the keel using the strap for the fuel tank . maybe comfy to sit astride and wieght can also be transferred easily by sliding forward .

columbiachop · 09 March 2006, 23:38

my sib is a little larger but i strap a plastic 9 gallon tank back by the transom to avoid that fuel line tangle. i use a 9 gallon zodiac rubber bag style tank strapped up in the bow to even out the weight. it's basically a reserve tank with a quick connect if i need it. it seems balanced to me.

andy

Tideway · 10 March 2006, 19:01

I should qualify that my post is only based on being on my todd in the boat, hence the light bow/weight forward comment.

Unfortunately, I am a fat b*rst*rd,so that doesn't help...

ian parkes · 10 March 2006, 21:10

lets start the fat bastards in sibs forum right here ? Iam told I qualify

jyasaki · 10 March 2006, 21:50

Ian;

I ran an Achilles 14'/Honda BF-40 for a couple of years. My setup was pretty similar to yours: sit on the emerg eqpt box, fuel tank on the port side against the transom. Worked very well.

I did notice the ride improved with more weight up front, especially when traveling alone. Of course, in my case, the weight shift was dive gear, not fuel tank.

Luck;

jky

Downhilldai · 10 March 2006, 23:24

I have used a triangular shaped tank in the bow, but with no facility to tie it down, I found it was flying all over the place and it also got in the way on a small (10') SIB, so I went back to a 3 gallon tank under the aft thwart. That set-up works well.
Anyone want to buy a cheap triangular tank????

ian parkes · 12 March 2006, 00:21

Having tried to sit in the bow it certainly the worst place to get bounced about . so i think I will give the bow tank idea a miss , besides and even longer fuel line would be required .