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Author Topic:   Relocating fuel tank in 2004 130 Sport

Foulweather Jack posted 09-26-2005 03:28 PM ET (US)
I am the proud new owner of a 130 Sport that I bought for my stepdaughters (12 and 15). Because of boating laws in Georgia that restrict the horsepower a child can handle, I opted for a 25 horsepower Yamaha 4 stroke. I was lucky enough to find a 130 Sport at a dealer in Miami that was rigged for a Yamaha (the buyer opted for a larger Whaler at the last minute), so I was able to have them place a Yamaha 4 stroke 25, which is apparently a bit lighter than the Mercury 25 4 stroke.
In any case, when I drive the boat I notice that it has a tail heavy feel to it and takes a while to come onto a plane. Once on a plane at full throttle, it levels out quite nicely, but if I back off to 3/4 throttle, the stern drops and the bow rises awkwardly.
It occurs to me that the boat might be better balanced if I were to place the 6 gallon fuel tank under the forward bench seat. However, when I look at the wood location diagram, I notice that there is no plywood reinforcement underneath the forward seat, and I am leery of placing the mounting brackets for the tank in an area without reinforcement.
Has anyone had any luck moving the tank forward for better balance? If so, how do you secure the tank? Any other ideas for achieving better balance, less of a tail heavy feel, and earlier planing would also be appreciated.
skred posted 09-26-2005 04:02 PM ET (US)
I have a 2002 130 with a 40 Merc 4-stroke EFI. It, also, squatted down when taking off, then came up on plane, but slowly. First, insure that your Anti-Cav plate above the prop is parallel with the bottom of the hull or a bit above. Second, be sure the motor is trimmed all the way in (down) when you start off. That may not solve all the difficulty, however. I added a hydrofoil (TigerShark VG); there's many brands of them available (Doel-Fin, Stearns, etc.). This inexpensive addition to your motor literally makes all those problems go away. Not bad for $20-$30 bucks...
TRAFFICLAWYER posted 09-26-2005 07:16 PM ET (US)
You're looking for a band-aid approach to a boat thats underpowered. Just enjoy it the way it wags.
Mako posted 09-27-2005 09:49 AM ET (US)
You might want to measure the front seat hight too--I'm pretty sure it's too low for the tank. I second the use of a cavitation-plate device. And load all your stuff either in the bow locker or in front of the forward bench.
BobL posted 09-27-2005 10:17 PM ET (US)
Foulweather Jack,
I am another believer in using Stingrays to help small boats get up on plane more easily. I have not used Doels-Fins or Tigershark brands but I’m sure they work well too. Besides getting you up on plane quickly they will allow you to cruise at lower speeds. In my opinion, this is a better solution than permanently moving the gas tank. I think you have the perfect set-up for a 12 and 15 year-old.

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Author	Topic: Relocating fuel tank in 2004 130 Sport
Foulweather Jack	posted 09-26-2005 03:28 PM ET (US) I am the proud new owner of a 130 Sport that I bought for my stepdaughters (12 and 15). Because of boating laws in Georgia that restrict the horsepower a child can handle, I opted for a 25 horsepower Yamaha 4 stroke. I was lucky enough to find a 130 Sport at a dealer in Miami that was rigged for a Yamaha (the buyer opted for a larger Whaler at the last minute), so I was able to have them place a Yamaha 4 stroke 25, which is apparently a bit lighter than the Mercury 25 4 stroke. In any case, when I drive the boat I notice that it has a tail heavy feel to it and takes a while to come onto a plane. Once on a plane at full throttle, it levels out quite nicely, but if I back off to 3/4 throttle, the stern drops and the bow rises awkwardly. It occurs to me that the boat might be better balanced if I were to place the 6 gallon fuel tank under the forward bench seat. However, when I look at the wood location diagram, I notice that there is no plywood reinforcement underneath the forward seat, and I am leery of placing the mounting brackets for the tank in an area without reinforcement. Has anyone had any luck moving the tank forward for better balance? If so, how do you secure the tank? Any other ideas for achieving better balance, less of a tail heavy feel, and earlier planing would also be appreciated.
skred	posted 09-26-2005 04:02 PM ET (US) I have a 2002 130 with a 40 Merc 4-stroke EFI. It, also, squatted down when taking off, then came up on plane, but slowly. First, insure that your Anti-Cav plate above the prop is parallel with the bottom of the hull or a bit above. Second, be sure the motor is trimmed all the way in (down) when you start off. That may not solve all the difficulty, however. I added a hydrofoil (TigerShark VG); there's many brands of them available (Doel-Fin, Stearns, etc.). This inexpensive addition to your motor literally makes all those problems go away. Not bad for $20-$30 bucks...
TRAFFICLAWYER	posted 09-26-2005 07:16 PM ET (US) You're looking for a band-aid approach to a boat thats underpowered. Just enjoy it the way it wags.
Mako	posted 09-27-2005 09:49 AM ET (US) You might want to measure the front seat hight too--I'm pretty sure it's too low for the tank. I second the use of a cavitation-plate device. And load all your stuff either in the bow locker or in front of the forward bench.
BobL	posted 09-27-2005 10:17 PM ET (US) Foulweather Jack, I am another believer in using Stingrays to help small boats get up on plane more easily. I have not used Doels-Fins or Tigershark brands but I’m sure they work well too. Besides getting you up on plane quickly they will allow you to cruise at lower speeds. In my opinion, this is a better solution than permanently moving the gas tank. I think you have the perfect set-up for a 12 and 15 year-old.