[Public-List] A Question of Fuel Tanks

[Anders Bro via Public-List]

Hi All,

Over the past few years I have been reading "Practical Sailor" as well 
as have noted many comments about problems with fuel tanks, fuel 
degradation due to aging, fuel additives, whether to store full or not, 
best materials from which a fuel tank should be made, along with many 
other concerns.

A while back when I was ferrying a new-to-me Alberg 35 from Sommesville 
to Swans Island (both in Maine), the boat in question had been sitting 
for years and the fuel was certainly suspect and so I opted to buy a 
portable fuel tank such as one uses for an outboard engine (rather than 
going through the labor intensive procedure of cleaning the system), and 
plumbed that into the supply of the Atomic 4 for that windless trip.

The more that I have considered it, the more I like the idea of such a 
portable tank. It sidesteps most all of the issues of a built-in fuel 
tank. I expect there is only one situation in which it might not be 
ideal - one in which a sailor typically uses the engine for frequent and 
extended periods. I expect that most folks don't use but a few gallons 
of fuel per year and so such a small fuel tank would ensure fresh fuel, 
no spillage, and so on.

I am wondering if this practice is common, and if not why not? Are there 
any drawbacks (safety perhaps?) that I am neglecting to consider?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Anders