Location of fuel tank in an outrigger

[Mike Rappold]

This may be a strange question but has anyone ever tried putting a fuel tank in an outrigger behind the engine instead of in front of it? The radio gear might then go where the fuel tank typically is (between the sponson boom tubes).

Thought being that as the fuel emptied, the boat's center of gravity would shift forward. This is unlike current hulls where the front gets lighter as the tank empties.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

 

[PHM Racing]

Fuel flows better when the tank is out front at 60 - 70- and 80 mph , tank behind the motor would make fuel flwo harder , just my thoughts

 

[Charles Perdue]

This may be a strange question but has anyone ever tried putting a fuel tank in an outrigger behind the engine instead of in front of it? The radio gear might then go where the fuel tank typically is (between the sponson boom tubes).
Thought being that as the fuel emptied, the boat's center of gravity would shift forward. This is unlike current hulls where the front gets lighter as the tank empties.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

I built a rigger like you described with the radio box in the front. The boat kept about the same CG as the fuel burned off. I mounted the radio in the front, the fuel tank over the CG and the engine midship with the tuned pipe pointed toward the front of the boat. That part of the design worked very well.

Charles

 

[AndyBrown]

My very first outrigger (1976) had a narrow tub like the SG and the tank was behind the engine on the CG. I just built the tank with a big brass tube through it for the drive shaft.

Later (1983-1984) I built my first production boat, the Mongoose .21. It also had the tank on the CG.

This was a wide tub rigger and the engine was offset far to the right and the tank was on the left.

This was a great running boat. Won the Orlando Winter nats two years in a row. The second year was with my wife, Donna driving one.

For production purposes and to simpify things for the average boater I later chose to place the tank in the standard front location.