fortier fuel tanks

[bob t]

hi i'm a newbie to this site. we have a 1981 fortier 26 TOOTSIE. power plant ..350 crusader. speed top 17/18 @7gal/hr. problem her fiberglass fuel tanks (twin 50s) have been compromised by ethanol and need replaced. a major project as decks are sealed. can anyone tell me what will happen if i put a 95 gal tank on deck at the stern with a bench seat over it. how will this affect attitude in the water, ride, steering etc. if not a good idea i'll bite the bullet and start cutting. any advice is welcome.
thanx bob t harbor springs mich

 

[blackdiamond296]

Since the original fuel tanks are right under the cockpit, up against the transom pretty much, I don't think it would effect slow speed maneuvering or balance port to starboard.

Where I think you will feel it is at cruising speed. All the weight across the transom is gonna make the boat squat quite a bit and make the bow ride higher than usual. It doesn't help that its a gas motor- less weight forward will make your new tank's offset even more pronounced.

Before making any cuts I would run the original tanks down, and put the equivalent weight of 95 gallons of gas across the stern- then you can see how it would ride with that configuration.