I recently bought a 17’ flts & Bay" flats boat, of course this company is no longer in business and hasn’t been in a good while. The previous owner said it had a 26 gallon tank, however the tank is in the bow and cannot be seen, I do not have a guages so I am wondering if this sounds right as far as the size of the tank and is there any way to figure out what size it has?
There is a way to figure out the capacity even if you can’t see it as long as you can access the sender and it is a square or rectangular tank.
- Run the boat so that the tank is not full.
- Open the fuel sender cover.
- With a dowel or yardstick, stick the tank. Record the total height of the tank and the height of the fuel level. Replace Sender. Please no smoking while doing this!!!
- Fill the boat up to full and record the amount.
- Divide the amount of fuel to fill up by the difference between the tank height and the fuel height. This will give you the gallons per inch.
- Multiply the gallons per inch by the total height of the tank for the total fuel capacity.
Should be close, but no perfect because many tanks are designed with some air space for expansion.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
Call me crazy, but run it empty. Fill it up. Look over shoulder at the pump reading and there is your answer.
Thats what I was thinking to I would guess I should just keep a few gallons in a can on board so I can get home! But that sounds easier to me, thanks for the help, I don’t think i am smart enough to do that hair ball but thanks a bunch!
If it swims throw a fly at it!
If it’s on the trailer, throw the muffs on it and run it out of fuel in the yard? Probably needs a good flush anyway. Then run it to the gas station and fuel er up and see what she’ll hold. 
put a sender and gauge in it.
They’re not terribly expensive.
17’ Henry O Hornet
26’ Palmer Scott
quote:
Call me crazy, but run it empty. Fill it up. Look over shoulder at the pump reading and there is your answer.
Yes, a first thought that is simpler. However, I would never tell someone to go out run until its empty. What happens when you run out of fuel at a bad time? I can think of many scenarios when it would not be cool. Having a small tank to get you home is good, but doesn’t help if your in the middle of the channel or the current has you next to a dock.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
Get a hold of Famous Craft…they build them boats now and should be able to help you with the capacity of your tank.
You could empty the tank with a pump instead of running it dry.
quote:
Originally posted by hairballThere is a way to figure out the capacity even if you can’t see it as long as you can access the sender and it is a square or rectangular tank.
- Run the boat so that the tank is not full.
- Open the fuel sender cover.
- With a dowel or yardstick, stick the tank. Record the total height of the tank and the height of the fuel level. Replace Sender. Please no smoking while doing this!!!
- Fill the boat up to full and record the amount.
- Divide the amount of fuel to fill up by the difference between the tank height and the fuel height. This will give you the gallons per inch.
- Multiply the gallons per inch by the total height of the tank for the total fuel capacity.
Should be close, but no perfect because many tanks are designed with some air space for expansion.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
Assuming the tank is uniform dimensions. What if the bottom portion of the tank has a smaller volume than the upper…say if it were designed to fit in the contours of the bow?
I think I covered that in my first sentence.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”