# Fuel tank / battery location for outboard



## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

after 8 months of working on it on weekends, tearing apart and fixing, I'm finally about to start the actual rebuilding process of my 17' Sea Nymph ... The boat is new to me and haven't had it out but it seems it would be a little back heavy with 50# or so of fuel and a couple 60-80# batteries in the back along with 250# of motor. Driver and passenger about in the middle. I'm going to build a little storage in the front and considering putting the gas tank there and / or 2 batteries to redistribute some of that weight. I'm concerned about the weight bouncing in the front under any kind of speed or in rough water, and getting the fuel 15' or so back to the motor. Has anyone done this type thing? Pros / cons? ... It's a mostly inland boat but would take on Erie on nice day, I'd never go out in 3 footers but might have to come back in them at some point


----------



## firemanmike2127 (Mar 17, 2013)

The first consideration I'd be looking at would be how much space is available under the floor & gunwales for adequate (additional) flotation. If I was going to customize a boat in that size range for fishing, moving the fuel & battery storage under the floor would be my preference. If the boat has a raised platform or casting deck in he bow area the batteries could be incorporated into the rear of that area. Additionally, what HP motor & quantity of fuel are you considering ? How about a couple of pics of the proposed floor layout (Seat pedestal locations, console, storage space, etc). Mike


----------



## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

there's some room under the floor for foam, going to put in as much as I can and still allow for drainage, and filling the rear sides above the floor as well ... anything I'm going to do will be installed under the new, larger than original raised platform / casting deck in the bow area, I have enough room there to make space under that ... motor is 50-55HP ... I'm thinking 6 gal. portable tanks, not wanting to do to the expense and hassle of a bigger, permanent mount tank ... 2 seat base / pedestals in the back, maybe one in front or not, depending if there is room on the floor or the new deck height is amenable to that ... one of my concerns is the fuel going 15' from the front of the boat to the engine in the rear without a fuel pump, that distance is usually only a few feet ...


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

firemanmike2127 said:


> The first consideration I'd be looking at would be how much space is available under the floor & gunwales for adequate (additional) flotation. If I was going to customize a boat in that size range for fishing, moving the fuel & battery storage under the floor would be my preference. If the boat has a raised platform or casting deck in he bow area the batteries could be incorporated into the rear of that area. Additionally, what HP motor & quantity of fuel are you considering ? How about a couple of pics of the proposed floor layout (Seat pedestal locations, console, storage space, etc). Mike


Yep...Good call firemanmike.
Theres a lot of info. that needs to be relayed in order to best give advice on your project. Boat dimensions with Max weight capacity would be nice also. Remember, if you've drastically changed the layout of the boat from its original layout and added weight with platforms etc., you need to add that additional weight in when figuring Max weight.


----------



## FAB (May 26, 2013)

Keep in mind that if you fully enclose the fuel tank area then you must provide a means of ventilation for the area. If the majority of the area is open for natural atmospheric ventilation then it is not necessary.


----------



## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

I'll check but think max is 6 people and around 800 pounds ... lol don't know how you'd even get 6 people on it let alone fish, or how you'd be able to run with more than 3 ... Don't think I'll be adding much additional weight from original, maybe an extra battery is all, everything else is pretty much the same ... just looking to move a little weight to the front and make some foot room in the back ... have thought about the venting, that will depend on the design


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

baitguy said:


> I'll check but think max is 6 people and around 800 pounds ... lol don't know how you'd even get 6 people on it let alone fish, or how you'd be able to run with more than 3 ... Don't think I'll be adding much additional weight from original, maybe an extra battery is all, everything else is pretty much the same ... just looking to move a little weight to the front and make some foot room in the back ... have thought about the venting, that will depend on the design


I'd surely check the max weight. If it's 800lb., that's total weight including passengers. Not 800lb plus weight of passengers.
Anyways, can see your point of being concerned about the length of draw on fuel if placing tank in front of boat. Personally, if it were me and I were making considerations of transferring weight, the fuel tank would be the last thing to be moved to the front. It would remain as close to the engine as possible. For various reasons...including possible starting/running issues due to air in the long run of fuel line. Especially considering there's no external fuel pump increasing fuel pressure. Another thing to consider if moving the fuel tank is what your going to use as fuel line for the run. I wouldn't like rubber due to a possible hole being rubbed into it. Even with SS braided fuel line after it gets older can possibly weep fuel. If you run steel line, then there's the sweat/moisture issue. There are a few other concerns Id have moving the fuel tank as well.
If I moved anything it would be the batteries. And in doing so, would figure out the proper wire/cable size for the length of run I had.
Also, have you thought about a livewell for the front? Granted, it would be no good if empty but would add weight to the front when full.


----------



## firemanmike2127 (Mar 17, 2013)

Well, a lot of smaller boats have the majority of the fixed weight (O/B, fuel tanks, & a battery) mounted in the last 3' of the hull. By locating 2 batteries up to the forward third of the hull you'll change the weight bias a decent amount. I'd want the fuel storage somewhere in the back 50℅ of the hull.....that's where almost all of the midsize boats have the portable/built-in tanks located. Bow mounted tanks were used from the mid 60's-70's but fell out of favor....In one of my smaller fishing boats I incorporated some storage by making some aluminum seat boxes that replaced the traditional pedestals. They hinged forward to access the interior space. I left a generous sized aisle but made the boxes extend to the side as far as possible. I wouldn't want to get too much weight up front....A properly balanced rig has to cut through the waves without pounding you to death. Think how a boat rides with the trim tucked all the way under....Every time you cross one wave you drop really hard & try to 'shove' the bow through the next one instead of gliding through more smoothly. I'd be cautious about moving too much weight forward in a smaller hull. Just my opinion. Mike


----------



## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

I'll make sure about the weight, it's on the boat ID label I just didn't check it today when I started this thread, but I know whatever it is, it's total weight ... I've thought about making boxes for seats, but space is already limited, I'm hoping for a little flexibility with the seat in floor bases ... I'd tend to agree w/you fastwater about the fuel line and location of the tank ... I had some concerns about the gas being that far away, my buddy who's helping me doesn't so much but his boat has a fixed tank and a fuel pump, and the other issues you raise make sense too ... part of my thinking was clearing up some foot room in the back as well, but will be rethinking that stragety ... have also thought about the live well, but there's no room in the floor and if I put it above I lose that area for a seat ... I can probably live w/a cooler, I don't do many tournaments ... I don't want to much weight moved up front, just trying to even it out a bit


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Understand exactly.
I've got a 16' Starcraft Pikemaster and need all the room I can get. In the rear there is 25hp mtr., a 24series starting battery with electronics hooked to it and either a 3 or 6gal fuel tank whichever I take depending on the lake.
In the front is the bow mounted TM, a 31 series battery(used to be two 24's)and two anchors in storage that weigh 25lb. Tackle boxes and cooler stays in front as well.
With this setup and my mtr all the way down, it rides just fine in waves 1 1/2 -2' with just me in it sitting in back tilling the mtr. If there's a 200lb guy in the center seat, it tends to want to ride a bit nose heavy. Not bad but I can tell the difference. Especially a more wet ride. I can raise my mtr a notch and it rides just fine again...and drier.
I have to manually raise mine but if you have power trim, obviously that makes it a whole lot easier. But remember also as firemanmike stated, too much forward weight and even trimming the mtr won't be enough to compensate to get the bow riding as it should.

It sure would be nice if you could design things in a way which you had your compartments built in such a way that you could be able to transfer some weight back and forth after you get finished to get the best ride possible. In other words, build your front battery storage big enough for two batteries and if that ended up being to much weight, you could shift one battery to the rear and utilize that empty space for maybe an on board charger or an anchor etc.
Like firemanmike said, you have to get that weight distribution right or your boat is either gonna be nose diving pushing into the wake or if too much weight in the rear, it'll beat you to death. And the only way I know to do it is play with the weight.
There is a lot of good info on weight distribution for a boat on the web. Also some with pics. on how you want your boat to set in the water and how it should look running at WOT.


----------



## Jay bird (Feb 27, 2017)

I would definitely stay near the center line of the boat , the shorter distance fuel has to travel to the motor the better,divide the boat in thirds , figuratively and place the these items in the middle third balanced of course .a 17 ft sea nymph v hull should be able to handle most situations that Lake Erie can throw at it . If the weight is distributed correctly and its driven correctly .


----------



## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I have a 17'-6" Tracker deep v with a 60 hp 4 stroke, power tilt. The boat is 72 or 74" wide.
7 person/965# limit but with gear just over 1500# limit. So it's similar but not exactly the same.
My set up is 17 gallons fuel (built in) plus a 29 series starting battery in the rear. 2 TM batteries (29 series) up front, just in front of the pedestal. I have tackle storage just behind the front pedestal. Rod storage box is next to console, livewell is opposite side (running lengthwise). I love the setup and the weight distribution if fantastic.

Since it doesn't appear you have a motor at this point I'm going to throw this in.
This boat used to have a 40 hp manual tilt until last year. Originally the boat had a 24 series starting battery and 1 TM battery (24 or 27 series) That 40 did okay if the boat was fairly empty and before adding the extra battery. With 2 guys and the extra weight it took a while to get on plane. Power tilt would have helped but I do feel that the 40 hp was just a little too small for the boat. With the new 60 hp motor it's a whole new boat.


----------

