Bavaria Fuel filling - Blow back

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xstucker

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www.mflixster.com
I recently bought a Bav. 37 (2002) and have attempted to fill the fuel tank twice in the last few weeks, but have failed due to the huge blow-back of fuel from the filler. Both times I have been fortunate enough to avoid poluting the Solent by me and my very absorbent clothing being in the way of the jet of fuel. The chap at the Gosport Fuel pontoon warned me about Bavarias doing this before I started to fill, and this implies that it is a common problem with Bavarias.

Does anyone else have any expereince of this and ideally a fix for the problem? I have had no response from Bavaria to-date.

Thanks, Simon
 
I don't have a Bav .... but a much older boat etc. The previous owner said he had this problem occasionally on my boat - so he fitted a second outlet to provide the breather. It's only a small bore hose to a small through-hull in the cabin top-side...... The pipe goes up the hull, above the outlet and then down again - producing a swan neck preventing any water ingress without need for flaps etc. Works a treat.
 
That sounds quite similar. The inlet and breather are next to each other on the back end of the tank. I can imagine that with a certain angle of the tank, the filler and breather could easily both be blocked with fuel and thus there be no breathing.
 
I have a Bavaria 32, and have never had this problem, but then I don't have to re-fuel all that often anyway. I always hold the gun as it nears full, as I never trust the automatic cut-off, and as diesel is known to froth up, I think it is sensible to complete the last few litres slowly and carefully.
 
It's good to know that the 32 doesn't do it. I get the problem when the tank is less than half full, and I dream of being able to get it anywhere near full. Holding the trigger has been the reason I have been there to catch all of the diesel as it leaps out, and on Monday I was filling very slowly.
 
Apart from frothing, I've never had a problem re-fuelling our 42. However i could envisage the situation where, because of lots of heavy gear/crew in the stern of the boat, the spigot of the vent pipe starts below the fuel level so there is effectively no vent. Our boat has the extra water tank in the bow and we rarely sail with more than two or max four on board, who are put ashore for re-fuelling anyway and all the heavy gear is stowed for'ard so the problem hasn't ever occured even though I've filled from high pressure trawler dedicated nozzles, over-revved fuel mini-tanker pumps and very high gravity fed supplies over the years.

Steve Cronin
 
I think that this is part of the answer. There is a great deal of weight aft and because of the shape of the tank, it is likely to swamp the breather. Will try next time with all crew on the bow to see if that helps. Then it might be worth fitting a second breather if the boat is naturally 'tail-heavy'. Thanks, Simon
 
I have a Bavaria 34, and have the same problem. My only solution so far, is to get the crew keep a check on the vent pipe as I fill up, and yell stop when the foam gets to about half way up the pipe. This is probably only possible in the 2 cabin version with the deep stb cockpit locker.
 
Hold the fuel pump as far out of the filler hole as you dare, to allow air to escape up the filler hole. Also don't bull the trigger all the way in so the air has a chance to escape.
 
Breather pipe is completely clear and so is the deck fitting. The breather pipe is looped up to the deck though which could allow a for water or diesel to collect in a low point.
 
if you look at the length of the pipe is about 8 foot and the breather pipe is also about the same length they are linked together. the force of the diesel being filled does not allow the air to escape easily. therefore back pressure occurs
solution watch fuel gauge and slow fill9ing when near the top.
 
Surely answer is to ....

If you can get at top of tank .... drill and screw in a second small bore connection then to a hose to vent the tank ? Keeping it at the highest possible tank point ?
 
It may be a trim problem but I would have thought one would need to be a long way out of trim to cause the breather problems unless the tank was very poorly designed.

A possible cause is foaming (especially as you mention foam up the breather) as when that blows back up the filler it comes out as if liquid. The filler connection into the tank should extend down below the surface of the diesel so that when filling foaming is reduced - maybe on some boats Bav have not done this. If no hatch into the tank to look, it can be checked by removing the filler connection to the top of the tank and peering down or feeling with a piece of wire - if using wire a small bend on the bottom end allows you to hook that over the bottom of the filler extension into the tank to determine how far down it goes. Unless one has access into the tank there is no way to fix it in which case the only easy solution is to fill more slowly.

If the filler extends in properly then putting aside trim, the breather or filler would seem to be too small but that would be unusual I would have thought.

John
 
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