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Thanks all for the helpful suggestions.

Some good points are: How much fuel do I really need - 12 Gallons should be enough. How will I fill and vent the tank if it is permanently installed - Portable tanks to the gas station are pretty handy, otherwise I'm looking at a fuel caddy or siphoning from a gas can. The weight issue is that I suspect a bit of water saturation, and although the boat was sitting OK in the water 10 years ago, it was with a significantly lighter engine - all weight needs to be forward, including the battery. I really don't want to modify the console to raise it, although the idea would work to accommodate an under console fuel tank.

Thanks again