Bigbore500r
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*EDITED WITH PICS*
Im taking on a new-to-me boat project, a 10M Cooper Prowler "aft cab" that is currently slipped in Channel Islands Harbor. Nice boat, great condition and runs well, but it has deteriorating aluminum tanks that are not flushable / fixable in any manner. One of the tanks actually began seeping into the bilge and they were both drained and dryed out as a precaution. The tanks are completely un-accessable without major demo work, cutting the gunnels open and ripping the interior of the boat apart. The plan is to leave those tanks empty and abandon them, and run a new tank or fuel bladder setup to get this boat back on the water. The boat runs great (when the carbs arent contaminated with tank sediment...) and overall is in good shape, it's a shame that the tanks took it out of service. So i'm gonna fix it.....
Thinking of either having a few new tanks made custom to fit in some alternate locations in the bilge, or possibly even on the lower back patio deck and built in to a sort of "bench seat" that would conceal them. These ATL fuel bladders look pretty cool, wondering if I can build a deck box of sorts and have one made custom sized to fit in the box. They seem to be made well and from what I can tell are USCG legal for use above deck.
Photos of similar boat - 10M cooper prowler "aft cab" with 2 staterooms and 2 heads, central galley / saloon layout.
Tons of room on back deck to place a bladder / tank setup and make a deck seat out of it. 6' wide x 2' deep x 18" high would get us 130 gallons or so, and we could always have another bladder for extended range. This thing is gonna be used for harbor cruising and a trip to Channel Islands / Catalina at the most, so range doesn't need to be much.
Pic / example of fuel bladders available - can be customized to space and capacity
Theres also room in the bilge forward of the engines, if I relocate the black water tank a bit. But now were moving stuff, putting in support structure, and below bilge ventilation and fill becomes an issue we would need to ensure is safely handled. Above deck seems easier. Weight of tank with fuel is approximately 800lb filled, not to concerned as the rear patio is built like a brick shithouse and the boat weighs in at 15,000lb! It's not gonna notice the weight of 3 men on deck.
The thought is to build a deck box (a very sturdy deck box) that appears to be a built-in bench seat, and under the flip-up lid is the fuel bladder that sits inside. Box would be ventilated of course.
Flame away......feedback is appreciated
Im taking on a new-to-me boat project, a 10M Cooper Prowler "aft cab" that is currently slipped in Channel Islands Harbor. Nice boat, great condition and runs well, but it has deteriorating aluminum tanks that are not flushable / fixable in any manner. One of the tanks actually began seeping into the bilge and they were both drained and dryed out as a precaution. The tanks are completely un-accessable without major demo work, cutting the gunnels open and ripping the interior of the boat apart. The plan is to leave those tanks empty and abandon them, and run a new tank or fuel bladder setup to get this boat back on the water. The boat runs great (when the carbs arent contaminated with tank sediment...) and overall is in good shape, it's a shame that the tanks took it out of service. So i'm gonna fix it.....
Thinking of either having a few new tanks made custom to fit in some alternate locations in the bilge, or possibly even on the lower back patio deck and built in to a sort of "bench seat" that would conceal them. These ATL fuel bladders look pretty cool, wondering if I can build a deck box of sorts and have one made custom sized to fit in the box. They seem to be made well and from what I can tell are USCG legal for use above deck.
Photos of similar boat - 10M cooper prowler "aft cab" with 2 staterooms and 2 heads, central galley / saloon layout.
Tons of room on back deck to place a bladder / tank setup and make a deck seat out of it. 6' wide x 2' deep x 18" high would get us 130 gallons or so, and we could always have another bladder for extended range. This thing is gonna be used for harbor cruising and a trip to Channel Islands / Catalina at the most, so range doesn't need to be much.
Pic / example of fuel bladders available - can be customized to space and capacity
Theres also room in the bilge forward of the engines, if I relocate the black water tank a bit. But now were moving stuff, putting in support structure, and below bilge ventilation and fill becomes an issue we would need to ensure is safely handled. Above deck seems easier. Weight of tank with fuel is approximately 800lb filled, not to concerned as the rear patio is built like a brick shithouse and the boat weighs in at 15,000lb! It's not gonna notice the weight of 3 men on deck.
The thought is to build a deck box (a very sturdy deck box) that appears to be a built-in bench seat, and under the flip-up lid is the fuel bladder that sits inside. Box would be ventilated of course.
Flame away......feedback is appreciated
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