adding a petrol tank please advise

[michaelcaine]

hi,im thinking of putting a 90 litre petrol tank in the front of my boat its a 21 ft speed boat with a 2.4 litre mer outboard,will this affect the handling of the boat,ie make it un-stable,the tank has baffle plates and im thinking of putting it just in front of the steering wheel in the middle.please advise.

thanks,

jamie

[Iggy]

I'm no expert, but that much fuel that far forward could upset the handling. At best it could make the bow ride lower making you use more drive trim to compensate.
I believe most fuel tanks are mounted at or very close to the boats center of gravity. This way as fuel is used it has little or no effect on the handling.

Best thing to do is calculate the weight of the extra fuel and place sand bags, weights or anything to equal the fuel and place it in the hull approximately where you want it. Then take the boat out and see how it rides and handles. Be careful though.

[michaelcaine]

thanks for reply,good idea! simple and easy,i dont know why i didnt think of it!!!