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I have been improving a 17ft Striper that I bought last year. Its a great boat and has offered great enjoyment for my family and me. My son and I fish freshwater and saltwater from it and it has proven itself in rough water.

I don't have a manual for it and I have a few questions. I have two 12 gallon portable fuel tanks in the rear with the starting battery. The trolling motor battery is under the console. I know the Striper originally came with a 48 quart cooler to sit on and pilot the craft. Mine has that cooler with the backrest which has proven useful in rough water. The boat also comes with a casting seat in the rear. The space between the pilot seat and the fuel tanks in the rear seems tight. I know the boat is only 17 feet, but it seems like their should be a better setup.

I've thought about buying a new fuel tank and putting it under the console and then just having the two batteries at the stern of the boat. Any ideas? If I knew how the boat came setup from the factory then I would have some place to start.

I also wanted to add that I love this site. I am a recent whaler owner and I can say for sure that I won't own any other kind of boat. Thanks for all of the pictures and stories.