Hatch cover for Aux Fuel Tank

a1mccray

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I have a 2005 Seafarer and want to know if anyone has ever heard of replacing the cover where the aux fuel tank goes with a cover that can be opened from the top. I looked under the hatch and found a lot of unused space that would be great to use if I could get to it easier. Does grady make a box with a cover that can fit in the aux fuel tank area?
 

Capt Khaos

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Hatch Cover

I read about a new 228 with an F250 being too heavy at the stern so water came in the scuppers. Grady moved the main tank foward and now the space for the aux. tank was aft. I have an '02 228 Seafarer w/ an F250 and though water does not come in my scuppers I still thought to swap the tanks position in hopes of better handling. Then it occurred to me that I could put a hinged lid on the aux tank space and use it for a fish box. I called Grady and they said don't do it. Gradys are designed so water can not get into the bilge and opening up this area would violate this watertight integrity. Besides, my boat handles great the way it it.

Still, if you were careful to seal the area and make provisions for draining or pumping out it would seem OK to me.

Good Luck,
Dan
 

dheywood

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Hatch door

My Grady is older then yours but when I had my boat in for some fiberglass work I had them build a door over my aux fuel hole. I ended up with a two foot by two foot hatch door with a gutter on the inside. In the rear corner of the gutter they installed a scupper with a drain hose that runs through the back bulkhead and drains into my engine bay bilge. I relize you probably have outboard engines but you could use an existing through hull and tee into it. You could also run the drain hose to an area that has a bilge pump. The only water that would go down this drain is the water that manages to get by the hatch door seals. The extra storage is great for bumpers, anchors, boarding ladder etc.