How Big is Your Tank?

[Steelaway35]

Does size matter? I was just curious how big everybody's fuel tanks are and if they wished for more or less capacity....

I have two integral steel tanks (steel hull sailboat) with a capacity of 175 gallons of diesel. I have no idea if thats a lot or not. I'm launching this summer and curious what you guys have on your boats.

I look forward to hearing your responses!

[atoll]

just about 4000 liters 1750L either side and 600L in the keel,gives a range of about 3000 miles,boat is 63 ft

[Bash]

100 gallons, more of which is burned through the diesel furnace than the iron genoa.

Yeah, I wouldn't want much more. We don't have a diesel generator, and we don't run the engine to charge the batteries, so 100 gallons is plenty. If I had a bigger tank I'd be worrying about the fuel getting stale.

[Dsanduril]

35 gallons on a 40 foot boat (28HP engine, no generator, no heater). There have been rare occasions when we wished it was 50-60 gallons, but for 90% of our cruising find the 35 is enough, and we can always lash a few cans to the rail if we expect to need more for a specific purpose.

[Mike OReilly]

That's big in my books; especially for a 35' boat. We have 90 gallons. So far this more than enough.

[Astrid]

Fuel capacity is 600 litres on mine, mostly for winter heating. Out sailing, I don't run the engine much, so 600 is more than adequate. I have some extra in jerry cans.

[sailorboy1]

50-gal, I wouldn't turn down having more

[IdoraKeeper]

Guess I'm on the fat side. We have 160 gallons in 2each 80 gallon tanks. Fill up once a year...like Bash most goes through the furnace.

Todd

[bobconnie]

Our new to us boat is 51 ft and has 600 gals in steel tanks. We have a genny and a 471 detroit, this gives us right at 1000 miles if we only motored. We could use less but it's what we have ! Heck maybe I will start motor sailng in my old age !! LOL

[ElGatoGordo]

Hmmmm...I have 3 gallons plus a 5 gallon can....But Mine's a sailboat.

[ElGatoGordo]

OK I should say that's 16 hrs and 80 miles -ish....but I'm a coastal guy.

[Red Sky]

Two tanks, 60 gal. & 112 gal. I keep the 112 gal. empty unless I'm going a long distance. 60 gal me about 80 hours of

[gjordan]

37 foot steel boat, 19 gallons plus 10 on deck. I was much younger and more stoic then. Had to drift thru the so called Sargasso Sea. 44 foot glass boat, I think it was 110 gallons, and I only filled up about once a year even though we ran the engine an hour a day for hot water, cold beer, and lighting. A 175 gallons for a 35 foot boat sounds like a motor sailor. The problem with big tankage is that it is excess weight which slows the boat down and usually goes along with an oversize motor, which slows the boat down, which needs a larger propeller, which,You get the drift. I am not at all an advocate of ULDBs as cruisers, but over weight boats can also make lousy cruisers. I dont know if your boat was amature built, but the mentality that attracts people to steel boats (myself included) is strength , and most builders add a little here and there until they have an overly built boat that is way over weight. I am curious as to what size engine you have and if you have a 2 or 3 bladed prop? I am sorry if I sound harsh, but I consider sailing ability to be the criteria for a sail boat, not a 1000 mile motoring range._____Grant.

[delmarrey]

Motor sailers generally carry more fuel then the average sailboat of equal size.
Mine's an 40' ex-racer, which had only 30 gl. But I've just recently doubled it, adding another tank.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by gjordan

A 175 gallons for a 35 foot boat sounds like a motor sailor.

Brilliant.