Jerrycan Storage on Deck?

[cabo_sailor]

Originally Posted by deluxe68

+1

I want less stuff on deck, not more. If I really felt I needed more storage I would add some permanent tankage below the deck.

Personally, I agree 100%. Ninety-nine percent of the time I have no need of deck storage. One exception would be a single jerry can of gasoline for the outboard and/or Honda generator. But on rare occasions I feel it prudent to carry more, hence jerry cans on the side deck. Those rare occasions don't justify major alterations below deck. Frankly, I hold 180 gallons of water and 50 gallons of fuel. With today's water makers I would prefer a different division but I don't need it often enough to justify the expense. Usually I go out with a full load of fuel and around 80 gallons of water. The separate 100 gallon water tank I leave empty.

Rich

[savoir]

Originally Posted by chuckr

nope don't do it or want to do it == to us more stuff on deck that could cause problems -- i know i am in the minority - probably a minority of one -- but we added a 50gal diesel tank and a water maker and we have 2 50 gal water tanks -- just so we did not have to put stuff on the deck

having not been in the pacific i guess that would be the only place you would need them -- i saw a lot boats in the carib with a lot of stuff on their decks and in general there were very few places where you could not get gasoline or diesel -

as an aside we did carry 5 cans of diesel in cockpit lockers but never on the deck when we crossed the atlantic and we used about 20 gallons of diesel in the crossing and had 117 gallons on board

There are plenty of places in the Pacific where you can be cleared into a country, happily anchored in some atoll and find that the nearest fuel dock or gas station is a 4 day sail away.

The appeal of jerry cans increases in situations like that. I set my boat up to be capable of staying out of a commercial port for 6 weeks.

[delmarrey]

If one is crossing the pacific and heading south, one May want that extra fuel to get thru the doldrums. One can spend days just sitting there hoping the current will carry you south into some fresh wind.

I doubled my tonnage but still will carry on deck for long passages. Just the passage between Seattle and SF I used 80 gl of fuel. I didn't have to but it would have taken 4 days longer in a fall storm.

As long as the cans are not a burden, then I'll carry for offshore.

[jenny2]

When I got my boat after Katrina lots of places were closed. I put 30 gallons of diesel in 2 -15 gallon plastic drums on deck plus 4-5 gallon jerry jugs no problem. I may have looked like a Gypsy, but I don't care I know I had enough fule if I had to steam where things were better. I always take spare fule and water onboard my boat, you never know what will happen my friends are always giving me a hard time about how much stuff I have on my boat, and I tell them it's going to stay like that. Tied off to stanchions and lifelines never bothering anything.

[sck5]

Even in Chesapeake Bay I once had to take jerry cans to a gas station when the marina I tied up at ran out of diesel. Jerry cans are useful sometimes

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by sck5

Even in Chesapeake Bay I once had to take jerry cans to a gas station when the marina I tied up at ran out of diesel. Jerry cans are useful sometimes

i just read your posting to the admiral -- her comment "AHHHH not like he was in a primative country - gosh the marina ran out of diesel how awlful" she did not have a lot sympathy --

we carry 5 jerry cans (use to be 3 until we crossed the atlantic) but they are empty and stored in cockpit locker - in a lot of the carib we jerry canned the diesel out and glad we did as some if it was very dirty and we put it through a filter -

[zboss]

We have the ability to carry five jugs on deck. We used trex bolted to the stanchions as well. However, I am strongly considering removing them completely because we believe it is plausible that a wave is going to smack into them and tear the stanchions right off the boat.

Our tankage without the jugs is 140 gallons of water and around 53 gallons of diesel. We have the ability to convert the 40 gallon water tank to diesel. I am also toying with the idea of mounting a 30 or 40 gallon fuel bladder somewhere on deck. Tied down with heavy straps to hard points.

At 5 knots (without counter-current) we get only 250 to 300 miles of range. I have yet to determine our burn rate at a lower speed. I believe this is where you need to determine if you even need to carry jugs. If you have a range of 450-500 miles at a reasonable speed then IMO, you don't really need jugs on deck. More experienced people may disagree.

Water can be supplemented by a small water maker into a 5 gallon jug in the cabin.

[Bregts]

I have been thinking about storing jerrycans on deck for a long time. Then a few months ago a huge wave came over our deck in rough weather. It was a wall of water about 1m (3ft) high coming over the complete boat with enormous force. That event made up my mind about storing anything on deck, just don't.
Since that day the only thing on deck is the liferaft that is now also secured with an extra trucker strap.

(we have a low boat, might be different on boats with higher freeboard.)

[delmarrey]

I have one advantage in that respect. I can move mine back aft if need be.


.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by chuckr

nope don't do it or want to do it == to us more stuff on deck that could cause problems -- i know i am in the minority - probably a minority of one -- but we added a 50gal diesel tank and a water maker and we have 2 50 gal water tanks -- just so we did not have to put stuff on the deck

having not been in the pacific i guess that would be the only place you would need them -- i saw a lot boats in the carib with a lot of stuff on their decks and in general there were very few places where you could not get gasoline or diesel -

as an aside we did carry 5 cans of diesel in cockpit lockers but never on the deck when we crossed the atlantic and we used about 20 gallons of diesel in the crossing and had 117 gallons on board

I have been working hard to wear down my husbands intolerance of jerry can on deck. So you are not alone . Me I'd rather have em on deck encase in leak proof cover. So far my hubby is having his way.

[savoir]

If anyone is considering a bladder I can recommend one of these. The 39 gallon size fitted nicely on the cabin roof under my boom vang and never moved.

Standard Yacht Tanks - Turtlepac

[Mycroft]

I was told that it's not safe to store my dink petrol in the laz locker because it's open to the bilge. So now I'm looking at fabricating a box of some kind for the mast pulpits.

[Nicholson58]

Fuel quantity for blue water cruising - Page 2 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Here is a similar thread on CF.

[justjohn]

Thanks all for the input and thoughts. I can not get away from the use of jerry cans. I don't like the idea of them hanging in the water when we standing on the walls. I was thinking about up near the mast but can not seem to get a picture in my head as to what to do.

[zboss]

I'm looking at pictures of a peterson 34 on sailboat listings... it looks like you have room to strap down a bladder as Savoir hinted at. Just add two or three hard points with strong backing plates on each side of the coachroof and then tie the bladder to those.

This would also help with some handholds and a place to snap in your safety tethers because it doesn't look like you have much in the way of handholds up there.