Fuel Dock Blues

[JWSutcliffe]

This past weekend was our last outing of the season. Since I had not topped off my fuel tank at the end of last season, I thought it prudent to do so Sunday prior to winter haul out and storage. Total fuel burn for 2 complete seasons (most every weekend and vacation time as well) was a grandiose total of 8.3 gallons of diesel. I assure you, that got a few sarcastic comments at the fuel dock! I suspect most of my twin engine power boat friends at the marina probably burn that much gasoline just motoring back to the slip from the Sound!

[Jim Walsh]

Our boats are rather stingy with fuel. I used more fuel this year than at any time I've owned ORION primarily because of the long cruise I took. I was becalmed north of Bermuda, and I mean becalmed, as in a millpond. Not even the hint of a catspaw, nada. I enjoyed the experience for about three hours but there was no indication that the situation would change so I motored for several hours. Thankfully I have an autopilot because it would have gotten super monotonous having to steer for an extended period. A diesel which runs perfectly is a real treat. A diesel which sips fuel at hull speed is a wonder to behold. I was finally able to get accurate fuel consumption figures and I've recorded them in my log for future reference. Having replaced my fuel tank a few years ago allowed me to verify that it does in fact hold exactly twenty gallons of fuel. When you are a long way from any port it's valuable to know exactly what your range is under power just in case you find yourself relying on the iron jenny to get you out of a fix.

[Matt Cawthorne]

That is when you are supposed to say in a very loud and irritated voice "8 gallons! Man am I glad I don't have to do that every year."

[Jim Walsh]

That is when you are supposed to say in a very loud and irritated voice "8 gallons! Man am I glad I don't have to do that every year."

[Astronomertoo]

This past weekend was our last outing of the season. Since I had not topped off my fuel tank at the end of last season, I thought it prudent to do so Sunday prior to winter haul out and storage. Total fuel burn for 2 complete seasons (most every weekend and vacation time as well) was a grandiose total of 8.3 gallons of diesel. I assure you, that got a few sarcastic comments at the fuel dock! I suspect most of my twin engine power boat friends at the marina probably burn that much gasoline just motoring back to the slip from the Sound!

All this is a reminder that diesel fuel may last a long time, but does deteriorate. If you have a very good fuel filter separator, and you drain your condensed water often that accumulates in the tank, and have good fuel adn the proper lubricants/additives to begin with, it is still a natural thing for the quality value of the fuel to grow bacteria, and reduce its combustion specs value over time. Sometimes it is worth pumping out and replacing with new fuel. I used to have a Yanmar 1GM (reliable) noise maker which averaged 1 qt per hour at 6 knots in a 1981 Hunter 27. At that rate it is hard to use up the diesel fast enough to keep it fresh, so I used to top off the tanks several times each summer, and pull samples from the tank pre-filter into a clear jar, just to see how much suspended crud there was in it. Being at sea on a lumpy day will shake up that stuff which if thick enough can clog a filter just when you need it most. Might be worth keeping in mind.
Best wishes
Bob C

[Paul D.]

At some point I will need to really clean my tank. I shudder at the thought of having the rough seas shake anything up and clog the filter just when in the middle of a sea lane and thick fog. That exact thing happened to the boat I used to skipper, luckily I was not aboard, the owner was!

Besides replacing the water separator and fuel filter every few seasons, my routine is to fill the tank at the end of the season - alas I will need to do that this weekend - then add a Sta-bil type product. Worked well for a decade but again, I don't know what's in there.

The tank on the 33 is aluminum, rather to get at and you can not get at the top of it to access a cleanup even if you had one. I would probably pump out the tank from the fill in the cockpit locker, stick some sort of vacuum down there, clean it best I can with clean fuel, pump out again, repeat maybe once or twice and see how that goes.

Any other methods folks have for doing this in boats without any real access?

[Sea Hunt Video]

Paul:

I have a diesel mechanic in whom I have great faith (proven by past performance). When I first hooked up with him, after he did an initial service and flushing of the engine, etc., he recommended the following two diesel fuel additives:

http://www.biobor.com/products/biobor-m ... additives/

http://www.diesel-fuels.com/algae-conta ... d-fuel.php

I have been very, very happy. As is true with most sailboats, my Yanmar 1GM does not get a lot of use. Diesel I have in there now has been there several years with only occasional "top offs". Both the BioBar MD and the AF 750 have worked well.

That said, I must now "knock wood".