Magicallbill
05-11-2004, 09:10 PM
Hey,
Hope everyone's Spring is going well; I'd like some thoughts on this,
As some of you know, my son and I are having 2 16's restored. My mechanic who is handling the operation called and said the glass guy doing the work wants to make the fuel tank an actual part of the boat itself. In other words, there would be no seperate fuel tank enclosed in foam,flotation or whatever you would surround the tank with.
He says the upside to making the tank structurally apart of the boat would be no future dampness problems either with the tanks itself,or the surrounding material that holds it in place. Also, nothing would jar loose and bang around up there in the future, and it would be slightly lighter. There would be a bit more fuel cap. too, so that would probably negate the lightness factor.
My question/concern is will this method affect the handling, trim, and riding attitude of the boat? On my 18 Scorpion, any shift or change in weight, such as a passenger changing a seat, causes a list or porposing that I have to correct with tabs or trim.
This may not be any problem at all, but in a situation like this, once I commit to a decision, I'll have to live with the handling results, good or bad. My mechanic is a trustworthy guy whom I've dealt with for years, and He seems to be ok. with it. I would like some opinions of Donzi owners, though, who really know the nuances of these classic hulls. As I said, my 18 is really sensitive;I can't believe a 16 would be any less so.
I really enjoy this registry, and hopefully I'll get these 16's up to Lk. St Clair this summer. Thanks for your help,
Bill
Hope everyone's Spring is going well; I'd like some thoughts on this,
As some of you know, my son and I are having 2 16's restored. My mechanic who is handling the operation called and said the glass guy doing the work wants to make the fuel tank an actual part of the boat itself. In other words, there would be no seperate fuel tank enclosed in foam,flotation or whatever you would surround the tank with.
He says the upside to making the tank structurally apart of the boat would be no future dampness problems either with the tanks itself,or the surrounding material that holds it in place. Also, nothing would jar loose and bang around up there in the future, and it would be slightly lighter. There would be a bit more fuel cap. too, so that would probably negate the lightness factor.
My question/concern is will this method affect the handling, trim, and riding attitude of the boat? On my 18 Scorpion, any shift or change in weight, such as a passenger changing a seat, causes a list or porposing that I have to correct with tabs or trim.
This may not be any problem at all, but in a situation like this, once I commit to a decision, I'll have to live with the handling results, good or bad. My mechanic is a trustworthy guy whom I've dealt with for years, and He seems to be ok. with it. I would like some opinions of Donzi owners, though, who really know the nuances of these classic hulls. As I said, my 18 is really sensitive;I can't believe a 16 would be any less so.
I really enjoy this registry, and hopefully I'll get these 16's up to Lk. St Clair this summer. Thanks for your help,
Bill