Dipping stick to check fuel level...?

[ChromeDome]

But surely it’s better a digital readout to repeater in the cockpit and chart table

The simplest to fit is the Gobius. Not the cheapest but it will return levels of any tank by sensing it on the outside.

I fitted it to the black water tank and was most happy not to have to "dig in" to install it.

 

[Iliade]

Hmm, I have a spare laser measure in the office...

(I have to admit to having been dragged kicking & screaming into the 1940s when I bought the current boat with a float based 12v fuel gauge on the IP. Prior to that it was mostly a wooden offcut.)

 

[Refueler]

Hmm, I have a spare laser measure in the office...

(I have to admit to having been dragged kicking & screaming into the 1940s when I bought the current boat with a float based 12v fuel gauge on the IP. Prior to that it was mostly a wooden offcut.)

Sonic measure would work ... but Laser ??? I would expect the liquid to disperse the beam.

But I would also never let either item near a gasoline tank - just saying.

 

[wonkywinch]

Do Rocna make a dipstick or are they just bought by them

(I have a Rocna before anyone jumps on me)

 

[Buck Turgidson]

If the OP's tank is like mine then it's a 28lt cylinder mounted horizontally. There is no option for a gauge as there is no flat surface top or bottom on which to mount a sensor. A dip stick either calibrated mathematically or through measured filling is the only real option. The aircraft pipet style works but because of the long neck you need a very long one. I just use run time and fill up when I estimate I'm under 1/4 full.

 

[veshengro]

Do Rocna make a dipstick or are they just bought by them

(I have a Rocna before anyone jumps on me)

Rocna should make a dipstick, at least buyers could be certain it wouldn't get stuck to the bottom of the tank.

 

[ghostlymoron2]

I don't see that you need to calibrate the dipstick in the same units as your tank. That seems unnecessarily complex.1 gallon is more or less 5 litres.

 

[ChromeDome]

If the stick is dry, the tank is empty.
The length of wet stick when full is your target.
Wet in between [no pun indented] is ok -ish.

Simply.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

with a cylindrical tank you need to be a little careful! Geometry is a tricky thing!

 

[Refueler]

On Superanne ... my Motor Sailer ... I have a tank under the fwd stbd bunk. Its dipped by stick and I have a tape stuck under the bunk plywood that you lift up to access .. which is marked off in litres based on measurements when I filled that tank.
I dip - hold stick next to tape ... I have direct read of volume. I know the consumption of my engine ... I then know the hours I have left on the tank.

I disagree with some about not needing to know litres / galls ... only to know full / half etc. How do you then work out what hours run / range you have ?

 

[Refueler]

with a cylindrical tank you need to be a little careful! Geometry is a tricky thing!

My FW tank is oval .... makes it even more mathematical ... easy peasy .... empty tank ... then fill with containers stopping at each one to dip and check ... put tape along somewhere you can put stick against and mark off.
With my tank being oval and symetrical about centre line ... I only had to half fill to obtain zero to full tank graduations.

 

[Refueler]

On Superanne ... my Motor Sailer ... I have a tank under the fwd stbd bunk. Its dipped by stick and I have a tape stuck under the bunk plywood that you lift up to access .. which is marked off in litres based on measurements when I filled that tank.
I dip - hold stick next to tape ... I have direct read of volume. I know the consumption of my engine ... I then know the hours I have left on the tank.

I disagree with some about not needing to know litres / galls ... only to know full / half etc. How do you then work out what hours run / range you have ?

I do have a sender and fuel gauge in cockpit - but I don't trust that for pushing limits on fuel ... why ? When it shows empty - I still have about 10 litres in there usually ... that is a significant motoring for that boat ...

 

[Refueler]

 

[greggron]

I have a small cylindrical tank on my Sadler 25 and I made a dipstick from a piece of dowel which measured 5ltr increments and masked each off with some very narrow masking tape. I then sprayed the dowel with blackboard paint. With the tape removed I now have a rough measure and the level of diesel shows up extremely well on the paint.

 

[Refueler]

I have a small cylindrical tank on my Sadler 25 and I made a dipstick from a piece of dowel which measured 5ltr increments and masked each off with some very narrow masking tape. I then sprayed the dowel with blackboard paint. With the tape removed I now have a rough measure and the level of diesel shows up extremely well on the paint.

Matt black is the trick .... even stiff black covered large diameter electric cable works as well.

 

[B27]

Limited value in being too precise when the boat keeps heeling?

My dipstick has hacksaw cut every inch, these hold diesel well enough.

I have a 40 litre tank with an electric gauge.
The gauge has three zones.
3: I might not get another 10 litres in
2: There's a fair amount in the tank.
1: Put the reserve 10 litres in and buy another 10 litres tomorrow

I've been on boats where the dip stick shows there is an inch or two of diesel in the tank, but the outlet sucks air and the engine stops.

 

[Refueler]

Limited value in being too precise when the boat keeps heeling?

My dipstick has hacksaw cut every inch, these hold diesel well enough.

I have a 40 litre tank with an electric gauge.
The gauge has three zones.
3: I might not get another 10 litres in
2: There's a fair amount in the tank.
1: Put the reserve 10 litres in and buy another 10 litres tomorrow

I've been on boats where the dip stick shows there is an inch or two of diesel in the tank, but the outlet sucks air and the engine stops.

Agreed.

My gauge is used to tell me - Yes put more in ... NO I'm ok for today !

 

[Stemar]

On my Snapdragon, I had a convenient stick. No markings, but if it's dry, that's why the engine stopped, if it's only wet a few centimetres, it's time to fill up. On Jazzcat, translucent tanks do the job.

 

[B27]

I do know there's fairly precisely 10 litres in a can.
It's rare for me to be more than 10 litres from where I'm heading.

 

[scottie]

I do know there's fairly precisely 10 litres in a can.
It's rare for me to be more than 10 litres from where I'm heading.

Not if its beer

Sorry but not all cans are the same capacity but I sure that that you do know what you’re using