Any Reason Not to....

[Delancey]

....relocate my fuel-fill deck-plate from it's current location at the deck edge to my cockpit sole?

I mean I understand it's much easier to spill fuel in the water at it's current location and that if I did move it to the cockpit sole I could more readily contain any spills, as well as be able to clean them up.

Mainly I am thinking it would be safer and easier when refueling with jerry cans at sea to do so in the middle of the cockpit rather than out at the rail.

I don't mind the dealing with the existing hole in the deck, I have to replace the fuel line anyway, and this change would make for a shorter and more direct run that sort of helps clean up the space below.

Am I missing something? Why are most fuel-fill deck plates located somewhere at the transom or on the deck edge? Is this so that if you don't pay attention and overfill your tank the waste fuel will go in the water and not stay on the boat?

[Reefmagnet]

If you spill fuel - which you will in a rocking and rolling sea - it will still enter the water via the drains and will also leave a dangerous slippery mess on the cockpit floor. Besides that, I had a power boat with in an floor filler once upon a time and it was much harder to fill a tank with the filler located at floor level rather than up higher when at sea.

I usually wait until it is calm enough to top up my tanks which are also located on the edge of the deck. I have thought about the issue of doing the same operation in rougher seas with not only the fuel spillage issue but also the chance having water enter the fuel tank with the filler cap removed and I think I would go for a solution using a manual or electric transfer pump fitted with a nozzle that formed a sealing fit to the tank filler.

[SURV69]

Mine is actually on my cockpit setee Port and stern, about 1' from the stern end of the seat, in the middle.(?)

I'm thinking of making this a NO-SIT location with a sort of DIKE around the area to catch little spills.

[Hudson Force]

Gas or diesel? 'makes a big difference if you need to consider where the vapors are collecting.

[Paul L]

Not a direct answer to your question, but you will have a lot less spillage if you use an auto siphon. Like this one

They're cheap and work well.

[misfits]

Ever notice how there is always a little bit of fuel left in the hose?
With the fill located on the cockpit sole..

[boden36]

It is best to position any filler port where water cannot collect around it. I don't like having to rely on a gasket or O ring on any filler.
Mine used to be on the vertical aft face of the cabin and we just screwed a large elbow into it when filling. 2" dia with a 1" vent.
I have just had to relocate it and it is now on the horizontal inner edge of the cockpit seat, a couple of inches from the cabin wall. A 2" upstand ensures that we do not rely on a gasket on the female cap.


Regards,
Richard.

[Pelagic]

Personally, I would leave it where it is since it restricts the mess because of less traffic flow.
Be it from dirty-oily fuel hoses or a few drops of diesel spill)
Invest in a large stable funnel and a siphon hose for transfer at sea and you will not compound the issue.

If you are needing to refill tanks then odds are wind/sea conditions are quiet.

[jackdale]

I like to be standing on the fuel dock and close to the vent when I am filling my tank.

The general rule is all crew off the boat.

Before You Go - Transport Canada

[Sailormantx]

Fill in the cockpit floor works well, had that arrangement on my last boat. With the vent about 2' higher than the cockpit bottom, you would have to fill the cockpit before anything would come out the vent. The Bristol had a completely closed footwell, so I would put rubber plugs in the drains to completely contain any spills and would also tear a hole in the center of an oil absorbent pad and place it over the fill hole to catch any drips. This method prevented spilling fuel in the water several times. It is easier to clean up the cockpit than the water!