WTB - Hourston saddle tanks

[EZZ70]

Can anyone give me fuel burn numbers for this size of boat with either single or twins? Maybe 80 gal would be adequate @10gal/25miles...

 

[wolf]

50-75 miles seems adequate. Even for tuna. Lots left for the return trip with safety in mind.

Exactly for the cost of adding all that extra...and I know hes trying to save every penny, a old timer once said to me "cost has to warrant the use" so if you only need extra fuel now and then spending thousand buck for a few trips IMO is kinda a waste when you can do what most do and just bring some jerry cans and store the empties on top of that command bridge. I have ran a boat on the high seas with a command bridge and trust me its not very comfortable up there as the roll is not very nice ,I hated it....

 

[EZZ70]

Exactly for the cost of adding all that extra...and I know hes trying to save every penny, a old timer once said to me "cost has to warrant the use" so if you only need extra fuel now and then spending thousand buck for a few trips IMO is kinda a waste when you can do what most do and just bring some jerry cans and store the empties on top of that command bridge. I have ran a boat on the high seas with a command bridge and trust me its not very comfortable up there as the roll is not very nice ,I hated it....

Makes sense thank you Wolf... but command bridge stays! lol

 

[wolf]

Robert thats just my boat and it has a brand new fancy inboard with direct fuel inject and variable cam timing my boat loaded is about 9000 lbs if not more. I image if you went with a 300 yammy you would be around the 14 to 15 gallon a hour range and twins would be about 9 or 11 so per engine depending on size you keep adding more and more weight those numbers will increase dramatically more weight = more fuel burn

 

[wolf]

Ill also give you some advice to when you do the inside as I have also done what you have done (never again) btw....on the sides of boat where its going to boxed in with seating and cabinets etc run some 4 inch pipe on either side and glass it in so you can run wires, cables,hoses etc and put some electrical twine in them so you can pull wires with it adding another one every time so you can keep pulling stuff thru will save you big time when you go to rig the boat,,,

 

[EZZ70]

Agree, I am trying my very best to keep weight down without sacrificing strength and safety, i like overbuilding but even that, at some point, sometimes becomes ridiculous :}

 

[Aces]

Here is my experience regarding fuel capacity and burn. My 26 Hourston has a custom 450 liter tank and twin 150 Mercury 4 strokes.

Depending on load I burn (total) 10 - 13 gals/ hr. I can run 55 miles offshore heavily loaded with ice, troll for tuna all day and run back using 350 - 380 liters.

But I don’t have the command bridge to push the wind

 

[Rayvon]

My brother-inlaw has the same boat as "Wolf" (26 Hourston Sportfish) that he removed the diesel and podded with a 300 Suzuki.He told me it burns about 14 gal. per hour as Roy said.

 

[fishin solo]

Let’s get serious here.... if your talking tuna guys with 80g+ tanks pack extra fuel with them. To save a bit of money on installing a small fuel tank makes no sense..... remember just because it’s a big tank does not mean you have to fill it full. Forget tieing up a dozen jerry cans up all over the place. You will likely have to pack extra fuel already with a bigger tank why complicate this more then it really needs to be

 

[EZZ70]

Where the heck did you find room for a 45oL in the hourston?

 

[EZZ70]

Let’s get serious here.... if your talking tuna guys with 80g+ tanks pack extra fuel with them. To save a bit of money on installing a small fuel tank makes no sense..... remember just because it’s a big tank does not mean you have to fill it full. Forget tieing up a dozen jerry cans up all over the place. You will likely have to pack extra fuel already with a bigger tank why complicate this more then it really needs to be

Simple is good!

 

[Aces]

Right down the middle

I did raise the floor on 16 inch fir beams so the water would flow toward the gunnels and out the self bailing system

 

[MadJigga]

Where the heck did you find room for a 45oL in the hourston?

Is your main tank already in production? Or can you go back to the drawing board and get a bigger one?
Aces turned his boat into a cc set up. It’s a one of. I’m assuming he could fit a bigger tank because the step down into the cabin wasn’t there.

 

[EZZ70]

Is your main tank already in production? Or can you go back to the drawing board and get a bigger one?
Aces turned his boat into a cc set up. It’s a one of. I’m assuming he could fit a bigger tank because the step down into the cabin wasn’t there.

I see, that makes sense now, I am restricted by the step down into the cabin as that provided the head room, without the step down I couldn't stand up and I am 5'8" and shrinking with age LOL

 

[MadJigga]

I see, that makes sense now, I am restricted by the step down into the cabin as that provided the head room, without the step down I couldn't stand up and I am 5'8" and shrinking with age LOL

I’ve seen a few hourstons where the deck was made level. And the cabin was made taller, always with canvas though. And no upper deck. I’m not a fan of a step down cabin myself. But I’m 6’4”. Always smash my noggin. Especially after a couple pops. The sport fish like Wolfs is my favourite version.

 

[casper5280]

A 120gal tank is roughly 8'x2'x1' which would bring the tank from right up against the transom to the cabin door stepdown, with the current stringer locations. Still need some room for bilge pumps and wiggle room. Every foot shorter is about 20gals less, so you are probably limited to about 100gal+/-. That's if you rebuild in the stock design.

 

[casper5280]

Another option is a fuel bladder
https://fuelsafe.com/sf-ranger/

 

[EZZ70]

A 120gal tank is roughly 8'x2'x1' which would bring the tank from right up against the transom to the cabin door stepdown, with the current stringer locations. Still need some room for bilge pumps and wiggle room. Every foot shorter is about 20gals less, so you are probably limited to about 100gal+/-. That's if you rebuild in the stock design.

This is what stock looks like... I figure roughly 1" = 1 gal or just a tad over, so the stock tank is very close to 50gal, the biggest take I can get is 80" long = app 80gal

 

[casper5280]

Exactly like all Hourston tanks. I was just going off the top of my head on those measurements.
So your stock tank should get about
50gal tank/14gph= 3.57hrs x 25mph= 90 miles
80gal tank/14gph=5.71hrs x 25mph= 142 miles
100gal tank/ 14gph=7.14hrs x 25mph=178 miles

This is what stock looks like... I figure roughly 1" = 1 gal or just a tad over, so the stock tank is very close to 50gal, the biggest take I can get is 80" long = app 80gal

View attachment 49981

 

[MadJigga]

This is what stock looks like... I figure roughly 1" = 1 gal or just a tad over, so the stock tank is very close to 50gal, the biggest take I can get is 80" long = app 80gal

View attachment 49981

Is there any more room now that you have your stringers in? Are you raising the floor at all to make it self bailing? Can you adjust the width and height at all?