There is some kind of canister...I believe it's the carbon canister behind the right front plastic fender well. I understand this can cause problems similar to yours.
Old Hippie Young Heart
2000 S/3.2 Liter/Tiptronic/Boxster S Sport Package/Cruise Control/Slate Grey Metallic
Red Special Leather Interior/Red Floor Mats/Red Hand Painted Instrument Dials/Roll Bar/Windstop
Small Carbon Package/Leather Wrap Carbon Wheel/Center Console Exterior Color/Alum Carbon Shift Knob
AM/FM Radio w/CD Player & Changer/Digital Sound Package/18" Turbo Wheels/Wheel Caps w/Colored Crest
The symptoms you describe sound like a collapsed fill/vent tube on the stalk inside the fuel tank. The actual fix is pretty simple but getting to the stalk is tiresome and moderately dangerous because of working around the fuel and fuel vapors.
Use the search function... this has been covered many times.