---

Phil,
Another member of the fishing club has the same model Conquest who also removed the fuel tank. He posted pictures........my goodness.......what was Whaler thinking! The cut for access was directly behind the helm seats (seats sitting on a cast in place storage area). He posted pictures of the cut. No reinforcement underneath the cut. You have to to what you have to do.......a shop in Oakland CA did the work and the owner was pleased with the outcome. Makes what I have to do with the Revenge minor by comparison. I shake my head in wonderment with what designers/architects come up with.