Bad location for a fuel overflow vent?

[KarstRanger]

Here's the situation. I bought this 1987 20 ft cuddy cabin V hull boat, and, I guess the original underdeck fuel tank went bad, so the guy I bought it from put a 40 gal. stainless steel tank up in the front of the cuddy cabin. I want to be able to go fish out into the Gulf a ways, but be able to return safely in case I hit bad weather and/or big waves.

The problem (to me) is the fuel vent is up on the front of the boat about 3 feet back from the bow. Certainly an area that would get underwater in big waves. (I tried to attach pictures showing the location of the vent, but I see that I need a public website to do this and I don't have one available to me).

So, am I kidding myself having the vent here forward of the windshield - or what do you suggest ?? Run a hose back to the rear for the vent like it was originally? Thanks

[KarstRanger]

Here is a picture showing vent location. Thanks and a tip o' the hat to Tom Keels for the image upload instructions.

I marked the fuel vent hole with that red funnel. I am worried about water getting into my fuel tank in heavy seas - any ideas?

[Chalk]

If that's your fuel fill, above it....I would move it up even with it....You could put a one way valve in....if water got to it...the slight pressure build up from the fuel would push the water out....

[dstockwell]

If 40 gallons is all you can carry since previous owner changed things. Need to know your MPG to figure your range, to calculate how far you can run out and back and have reserve fuel.

[KarstRanger]

Well, I bought a one-way valve to install, but I didn't know how well it would perform if I was really getting pounded by the seas. I have seen this valve advertised as a replacement for an "anti-siphon hose loop". Do you know what that is -- maybe I could have both the one-way valve and the anti-siphon hose for max safety here?

On the mileage, I will just have to fill-er-up and take along a couple reserve tanks from my outboard and see what the approx mpg. is. This is one of those Mercruiser I/O 140hp 4 bangers, I had one before and it was pretty thrifty in the mid rpm range, but that tri-hull open bow boat was not as heavy as this cuddy cabin, either.