Custom Belly Tank

[FishAddict]

This is one of the coolest mod designs I have seen yet!  I can't wait to see how this turns out as the main reason I haven't done a belly tank is that I didn't want to lose the ability of having my bait tank in the middle of the dance floor.  The other big benefit of this design is it gives you a real bilge area!  The area under the stock fuel tanks is also the best location for a thru hull transducer.  This modification solves multiple issues.  I"m wondering if the same could be done in a 21 Ranger and get a slightly larger tank.  Also are you putting some sort of shims under the tank to not trap saltwater?  I beleive Defiance puts some sort of rubber strips to make a gap between the tank and hull.

[FishAddict]

What are the approximate dimensions?

[martin3]

This is one of the coolest mod designs I have seen yet!  I can't wait to see how this turns out as the main reason I haven't done a belly tank is that I didn't want to lose the ability of having my bait tank in the middle of the dance floor.  The other big benefit of this design is it gives you a real bilge area!  The area under the stock fuel tanks is also the best location for a thru hull transducer.  This modification solves multiple issues.  I"m wondering if the same could be done in a 21 Ranger and get a slightly larger tank.  Also are you putting some sort of shims under the tank to not trap saltwater?  I beleive Defiance puts some sort of rubber strips to make a gap between the tank and hull.

Yes, you must have the air gap all around the tank.

Under the tank I used 1/4" Neoprene. I cut out 2" X 4" Neoprene pads.
Attached with ample amount of 3M 5200.
It's not going anywhere.

[martin3]

What are the approximate dimensions?

Overall is 82L X 16W X8H

[FishAddict]

How do you think it will perform in a following sea?  I have always felt that the ass heavy part of the Arima helps keep the bow a little higher in a following sea situation.  I'm wondering if it will nose dive a little easier?  Maybe not since the weight is all on the keel mid ship.

[Redhawk]

That is SWEET! I would love to put a belly tank in our boat but the fish box being barely forward of the tank and lots of float foam in the stern makes it too much money for too little gain.

[Bigfish1!]

Martin3,
     Thanks for all of the info and pictures.  I really like the idea of keeping the weight centered in the boat and am very curious how your boat will ride and handle when you are done.  I have had several boats that had big flat tanks like that and they were often a pain to fill and gas burps were a constant problem.  Also on hot days fuel expansion seems to cause more overflow problems with the flat tanks.  I think with the right fill and vent location these problems can be eliminated.  Looking forward to more pictures and thanks for sharing. BF1

[martin3]

How do you think it will perform in a following sea?  I have always felt that the ass heavy part of the Arima helps keep the bow a little higher in a following sea situation.  I'm wondering if it will nose dive a little easier?  Maybe not since the weight is all on the keel mid ship.

I still have alot of weight aft.....3 batteries, oil tank, + 38 gallon bait tank.
The balance of the weight should help the ride.

[martin3]

Martin3,
     Thanks for all of the info and pictures.  I really like the idea of keeping the weight centered in the boat and am very curious how your boat will ride and handle when you are done.  I have had several boats that had big flat tanks like that and they were often a pain to fill and gas burps were a constant problem.  Also on hot days fuel expansion seems to cause more overflow problems with the flat tanks.  I think with the right fill and vent location these problems can be eliminated.  Looking forward to more pictures and thanks for sharing. BF1

Filling the tank should not be an issue. 99% of time I fill up just prior to launching.
The boat sits slightly bow down on the trailer.....especially when hooked up to the truck.

[Tesoro]

That is SWEET! I would love to put a belly tank in our boat but the fish box being barely forward of the tank and lots of float foam in the stern makes it too much money for too little gain.

fyi something floats because of displacement ( buoyancy = weight of water displaced less weight of the thing floating in it). So a foam filled box will be less buoyant than an empty box.!

[Redhawk]

That is SWEET! I would love to put a belly tank in our boat but the fish box being barely forward of the tank and lots of float foam in the stern makes it too much money for too little gain.

fyi something floats because of displacement ( buoyancy = weight of water displaced less weight of the thing floating in it). So a foam filled box will be less buoyant than an empty box.!

That's exactly why I wouldn't want to do it because the whole back half of our boat is full of foam and the last thing I would want to do is have to pull some out. Thanks to a battery, 24 total gallons of fuel (including 6 for the kicker), the kicker, and its bracket on the stern, she is already sitting about 3-4 inches low and I would rather keep the float foam in place and deal with the squat than open up the deck, putting a belly tank in, and barely move the weight forward. And with our older engine we won't get much if any of a difference in economy or range anyway, sitting right now at a hefty 6.4 gal/hr and a new 4-stroke would be about 33 pounds heavier (zuki 60av) than our current engine and in that case we would just move the battery forward and save the money from moving the tank.

[Markshoreline]

Red hawk do u still have the tiderunner?

[Redhawk]

Mark - yup we do!

[Yachter Yat]

   I don't know man.  There's something about that whole idea of cutting all that glass out of the inner liner, with some of these mods, that gives me the "heebie-jeebies".  I'm convinced that inner liner has to add a fair amount of structural integrity to these hulls. 

Yat

[martin3]

   I don't know man.  There's something about that whole idea of cutting all that glass out of the inner liner, with some of these mods, that gives me the "heebie-jeebies".  I'm convinced that inner liner has to add a fair amount of structural integrity to these hulls. 

Yat

I agree,  that should be a big concern for anybody cutting holes into their boat.
After cutting out the fish box.....I have ZERO worries.

In my case,   I opened up the deck and re-did ALL the foam.
I added so much stability compared to original with 4lb foam.
It took 3.75 gallons to fill up when I removed + the VOIDS.




   

[Ssericz]

All the guys concerned with how the boat will ride it's been done before and it improves the boat 10fold. With how Marty went about doing it I would put money his will be even better. The added foam supporting the deck was a nice touch this boat is going to be sweet!

The concern of bait tank in middle over the fuel tank being an issue. Also non issue for my build I had 37 iirc gallons tucked in my fish box under a Bluewater 48 tank

Boat sat real level with lots of extra weight too

[headduck]

Wow...I have antenna envy.

That's a battle wagon for sure.

[Tunacious]

For what its worth.

Im not sure what cutting out the floor does to the integrity of the boat but I do know when my fish box is full of fish, ice, and water my boat handles very well.

I always look forward to the run home after a successful day.

Usually on the way home most of the gas in the rear tank has been used. 

Im not sure how much my fish box weighs with a half tote of ice, 50 plus tuna fish at an average of 14 lbs a a piece, along with water to make a slurry weighs but its a lot.

Just the tuna alone is 700 plus lbs.

I limit the number of my passengers of course.

[disposable]

Man that bin full of albies is gonna keep me up at night...

[martin3]

Man that bin full of albies is gonna keep me up at night...
[/quote

I miss the days of Albies in So Cal.......fond memories

[GregE]

No place to get salt/ shave ice Walt?

[Tunacious]

No place to get salt/ shave ice Walt?

Greg,
I don't know what you mean.
Are you asking me why I don't have shaved ice on my tuna?

I believe it is shaved ice from Garibaldi Cannery.  It might have been my own ice.  I have a ice machine.  Not sure.

[GregE]

Yep, shave ice really packs well- those looks like cubes.  Didn't remember you had an ice machine

Quite an enterprise you have

[Tunacious]

a

[Tunacious]

Yep, shave ice really packs well- those looks like cubes.  Didn't remember you had an ice machine

Quite an enterprise you have

When Im icing my tuna fish I add sea water to my ice along with a little more rock salt.

I make a slurry of ice and water. 

It gets super cold and cools the tuna down much faster than just packing them in ice.