Auxiliary Fuel Tank or Drum

[SteveM]

Any recommendations on an auxiliary fuel tank or drum that I could strap to my cockpit deck, possibly on a pallet?

At some point I'm going to make the run over to the Bahamas to check out the house. The photos I have found look promising.
I'd like to bring roof tarps, and other supplies.
If the house is habitable I'd like to get a local family I know in there, before someone just squats and goes in there.

However, all infrastructure is going to be down for quite some time.
I need to be self sufficient to get there and come back.
I typically burn 120 gallons each way. I have the larger 230 gallon tank.

I'd like to bring two 55 gallon drums with me, refuel the boat prior to coming back to FL on my own. I cannot rely on there being fuel out there in Abaco.

With that said, and our peanut gallery of really handy people. What would you recommend?
Two steel tanks at 55 gallons is 880 pounds of liquid.

Yeah, I'm going to wait till shit calms down a bit over there. Their whole world is unravelling.

[mike ohlstein]

http://atlinc.com/rangeextender.html


I was talking to Timmy a few days ago and he was thinking about buying one. If you buy one that he wants, he'll probably buy it from you when you're done with it.

PM me and I'll put you in touch.

[Tony Meola]

Steve

I think your best bet is flexible fuel bladder. There are s number of brands on the market. Just Google fuel bladders.

You might need a transfer pump. Year's ago I knew a guy who mounted it on the bow of his 31. That allowed him to let gravity drain the bladder into the tank. The other option is to plumb the bladder into one of the fuel ines and run One engine off of it on the way over.

If you have two of them you can do the same to get home or you can just use them to fill the tank.

Steve. Good luck. I hope you find the house intact. Be careful entering Bahamian waters, a lot of garbage will be gloating around. You should also check with the local officials to make sure they will let you on the island.

[SteveM]

Thanks Mike that looks perfect.

[thuddddddd]

Steve, Mike is correct .. let me know if you get it . and want to get rid of it when you're done

[SteveM]

OK will do.

It will be interesting if this works out. If so, I may keep it. $3/gal diesel here vs $6/gal in Bahamas. I may just bring my own every time going forward and never use their fuel.
I bet price/gal over there goes up too after this settles.

Curious how I'd pump it or plumb it to my tank...

[Tony Meola]

Steve

You could use a transfer pump or see if you can find a fuel pump that you can use to pump it into the fuel tank.

Otherwise you could remove the fuel gauge sending unit and drain it into the tank right from the deck.

[Bruce]

Steve,
On my trips from Key West to the Mexican Isla's, I used plastic 55 gallon drums and a transfer pump.

Most of the time removed a fighting chair and tied the drums to the chair post to secure them keeping deck hatches unrestricted.

[Dug]

A friend of mine put a bladder on his Viking to extend range and had a pump integrated. It worked beautifully. He would lay it out in the cockpit, fill it up and then when we got where we were going, he transferred the fuel, rolled it up and put it away. It was remarkably easy and 100% effective. I can get the name of the specific brand if it would be helpful. It held at least a couple hundred gallons. They make many different sizes.

I think it was much safer and cleaner than drums... but might have a longer lead time.

Dug

[Kevin]

Steve,
You can also use the plastic 15 gallon barrels like the ones the smugglers use. Not to big so you can move them on deck or out of the boat if needed. Simple jiggler syphon for transfer into tank. It's how I have done it when needed. It's the poor man's method but highly effective. I have 5 that you are welcome to use if you are near the Stuart area.

[Pete Fallon]

Steve,
I would go with the bladder system they fold up smaller than using ridged the barrels and you can use them for the generator that you will have to buy if you don't already have one at the house . Looks like the power is going to out for a long time in the Islands. Good luck finding the small whalers, stay safe and the idea of having someone you know live in the house before squatters move in or steal everything. I wish I could help but still having problems with my knee, I would just be getting in the way with crutches.
Pete Fallon

[SteveM]

Here's a video I just found today.

at 4:35 you will see our 13' Whaler with the Yellow canvas cover still on! Unreal.
The 16' Nauset is also in the yard to the left, I've seen overhead shots.

The house is at 4:55. Main house lost a lot of shingles. I'd like to get out there with roof tarps and cover it.
I've updated the previous link to google photos with more images in the previous post.

Run the video at slow speed. There is a settings icon on the youtube page lower right hand corner.

It's hell out there. I'm thinking I should run over on the ocean side and scoot in to Man O War. There's been no hell in Man O War; but Marsh Harbour is a war zone.

https://youtu.be/w5BL3yo6ZRU

[SteveM]

If anyone has a good eye, see this if you can find the 20’ Sportsman in the yard around 4:32 mark. That’s the yard I left it with. Very hard for me to find it.

Topsides are white. Hull dark blue, red bottom paint.

I think I might see the outline of the bow in the 2nd row in.

But nothing sticks out to me.

It may be at the end of the red arrow. Call me crazy.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BjRu9Stop2i1E5nZ9

This is the boat I’m looking for
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zJp3pvFmW6A5MbyT7

[SteveM]

I have been calculating weight of additional fuel and other supplies.

I could see bringing 2000 pounds.
Plus myself and one other person.

How does everyone feel about running the Gulf Stream with that additional weight?

I think I have done close to this in the past.

[SteveM]

I found an answer from Capt Patrick on this old link.
2400 pounds
http://www.bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.php?p=41044

[Tony Meola]

Steve

Reading that post, it lookdd lijjdd he is saying 3400 lbs. 1000 for years and then 2400 for the add on.

[1962 31]

i have a 200 gallon blatter tank for sale I don't use It anymore only used it to run the boat from nc to nj been in my shop ever since

[thuddddddd]

may be interested... hopefully I'll be down this weekend .. I'll try and swing by

[ktm_2000]

years ago I did a lot of canyon fishing with a guy who's boat had enough range for Atlantis canyon but for veatch or hydro the reserve was not reasonable so not wanting to tempt fate we would use a 50 or so gallon bladder and would ride out and 2-3 miles short of the temp break or the edge we would slow down to an idle and pump the fuel from the bladder into the fuel fill using a fuel safe electric transfer pump which was hard plumbed onto a hose coming off the tank and had a plug to go into a cigarette lighter then once complete rollup the bladder tank and store it on the foredeck.

The bladder would go on a rubber floor mat and to keep it from sliding and was tied to each of to the stern cleats and the tower legs.