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I was thinking of changing the location of the fuel tank vent on my 21. As it sits from the facory, the vent runs from the tank to the gunnel and then through a tube up towards the bow area. I was thinking of just putting the vent right out the side where it runs up the gunnel. I don't think it's anymore protected from water intrusion here than at the bow area, so I don't see that as any reason to hold me back. What are some of your thoughts on this?
On the later models, the internal tank fuel vent is located in the front of the tank under the floor.
A hose from a fitting runs aft and to the port side of the boat about midship.
This hose is connected to a fuel vent fitting that goes through the hull to the outside.
There is a sticker on the outside of the hull around the fuel vent fitting.
Joe mine is run just like the later models you describe, except instead of running the fitting out amidship, they route the hose in a pvc tube towards the bow area(about 8 feet) and then out the vent fitting. I have no idea why it's done this way and it costs me a little bit of valuable storage space. I think I will just route the fitting out the side like you describe and mount it as high as I can without interfereing with the lines of the boat or the striping.
Other than the gelcoat repair work, I don't think it will matter. However - there MUST be a reason Whaler put it up there in the first place. I'd be interested to figure that out before modifying my hull.
I'm learning this very concept right now with some mods I'm making to my hull. (i.e. - wow, that was a good idea that Whaler did it that way!) I'm not going to change what I've done this year - but next year, I can already tell I'm going to have to make further modifications to make the boat as utilitarian as it was pre-the big Dave modifications.
Dave the only items I have left to remove on the boat are the motor,vro tank and one cleat. EVERYTHING else has been taken off in preperation for the awl grip paint and tuff coat bed liner material. So glassing the hole where the vent used to be will not be a problem. I may give Chuck Bennet at Whaler a call and see what he thinks before I go ahead and do it, but for the life of me I just can't se a reason not to move it back and save myself about 8 feet of vent line and some space under the front deck. I am going to add some wood here and there, but everything I'm doing to this boat is going to look factory. I want it to look like it just came out of a bubble from the 70's
