No one worries more about what’s really inside their water and fuel tanks than a dedicated cruiser on the go. On many boats tank inspection ports are an afterthought, but thanks to Dutch marine-systems specialist Vetus, that should soon be changing. Vetus’s new universal inspection ports boast a clever “clamp and seal” design that allows them to be quickly installed on any metal, fiberglass or thick-walled plastic tank. Cut a 159mm hole in the tank top, drop in a counter flange and rubber seal, tighten four bolts on the port’s external flange, and you’re done. The 120mm diameter of the installed port meets ISO standards for fuel tanks, and is plenty big enough to inspect and clean the interior of any tank. Plus there’s an additional feature that should make these ports especially attractive to OEM builders and DYI retro-fitters: specifically, each port’s easily removed inspection lid can also be fitted with an interchangeable connection kit that has all the necessary inlets, outlets and sensor connectors for fuel tanks, wastewater tanks or freshwater tanks—a clever way of arranging things. From $89. Vetus Systems, vetus.com
Return to 2017 Pittman Innovations Awards
February 2017
