Disaster on my Sealine 220

FlowerPower said:
Nightmare.

It might be a different layout on a 220, but on our S240, the water tank was the one under the bunk, and the fuel tank was higher up, behind the bulkhead between the rear cabin and the engine bay.
So a leak could have soaked the cushions on the way to the bilge.

First thing to do is get access to the tank, and make sure it's nothing simple like a pipe coming off.
Getting a new tank fabricated isn't the end of the world, but the "challenge" will be getting the old one out and refitting the new one - having help from someone that has done something similar makes things much easier.
Click to expand...

Sorry this isn't right the fuel tank is under the bunk (aluminium) and the water tank (stainless) behind the bulkhead. The fuel tank must never be above the carburetor or the risk of leakage is too great. A good reason not to full at petrol boat to the filler neck. I agree proceed only with great caution
 
You must get your insurers advice. If you (god forbid) lose the boat or injure someone trying to get it out, you stand a good chance of not being covered.

The insurers will have approved engineers they'll want to use, or at least vet any you choose.
They can be very sensible though - I had a big claim four years ago, and they actually let me do some of the remedial work myself (at my suggestion) as long as it was checked over pre relaunch.

Is it also worth putting big "no smoking / open fuel system" notices on the boat, and advise the marina.

Petrol vapour an travel a long way from source!
 
Been there with a Regal a few years ago.Alloy tank sat on water soaked felt strip tacked onto wooden bearer.Bottom corroded into tiny pinholes.
You can do it your self with care.It is not a major drama.All work was done on a tidal mooring and NOT in a Marina.
We flooded entire bilge with water and then drained two or three times.Allowed boat to dry by opening all windows/doors/hatches/vents and left overnight.
My 50 gallon tank had to be literally cut out of floor with a blimming chainsaw,after previously digging out the expanded foam holding it in place.
Tank was then flooded and drained and taken round to local one man band alloy welder who welded on a sort of a "cap" on the bottom which extended a couple of inches up the side.
Total cost was my labour plus about 80.00 pounds in folding for the welding company.
Whole thing took about 4 days from discovering the problem to getting under way again.
All at your own risk of course.
Boat does stink for bit but it soons goes away with use and/or you get used to the pong.:)
 
Last edited:
Ex marine industry said:
Sorry this isn't right the fuel tank is under the bunk (aluminium) and the water tank (stainless) behind the bulkhead. The fuel tank must never be above the carburetor or the risk of leakage is too great. A good reason not to full at petrol boat to the filler neck. I agree proceed only with great caution
Click to expand...

Maybe not so on a 220.

But definitely the case on our S240 / S24.
The fuel sender never worked from day 1 (almost ran out!), and Sealine sent someone who had to cut a hole in the deck to replace the sender.
The water tank was under the bunk.
(Diesel engined boat).
 
rosssavage said:
You must get your insurers advice. If you (god forbid) lose the boat or injure someone trying to get it out, you stand a good chance of not being covered.

The insurers will have approved engineers they'll want to use, or at least vet any you choose.
They can be very sensible though - I had a big claim four years ago, and they actually let me do some of the remedial work myself (at my suggestion) as long as it was checked over pre relaunch.

Is it also worth putting big "no smoking / open fuel system" notices on the boat, and advise the marina.

Petrol vapour an travel a long way from source!
Click to expand...

A few years ago there was a boat in Brighton marina that suffered a major petrol leak, like the op - and once notified, the marina were sufficiently concerned to move the boat to a location well away from all other vessels, tape off the pontoon and put big 'do not approach' signs all over the boat.

Best of luck to the OP. +1 to the advice to involve your insurers.

Cheers
Jimmy
 
If you are looking for help in getting the fuel out safely you could try one of the "Mia-fuelling" companies, often seen at petrol station forecourts sucking the petrol out of diesel cars. They will certainly have the correct kit for the job.
 
UPDATE : The good news the petrol has been pumped out and there was only about a gallon floating on top of water
The bad news is the filler is missing and fuel tank empty !
 
Thats good news in terms of the amount of petrol slopping about in the boat and that fact that you have now got rid of it - so where has all the water come from?

Is the assumption that someone has stolen the remaining fuel?
 
Apparently the water was fresh water.

Now the fuel is removed the boatyard can do a proper inspection.

it does look like 30 - 40 gallons has gone missing
 
Galago said:
I'd give the Fire Brigade a call ... they can make it safe ... they know what they're doing and have all the right kit.
Click to expand...

Thanks but the bilges have been pumped out and flushed. they are now clear. contaminated cushions etc all removed to safe place. batteries removed.
just got to find out the cause. at the moment i'm guessing it's been stolen
 
The co-incidence of a massive fuel leak and your fuel being stolen I suspect is a long shot.

More likely I would imagine that the fuel was pumped out by the bilge pump that would do exactly what is it designed to do on detecting a rising fluid level in the bilge.
 
jrudge said:
The co-incidence of a massive fuel leak and your fuel being stolen I suspect is a long shot.

More likely I would imagine that the fuel was pumped out by the bilge pump that would do exactly what is it designed to do on detecting a rising fluid level in the bilge.
Click to expand...

Agree - until we get it inspected we won't know the cause but why the water ? also why fuel fillercap missing ?
 
GRR said:
Agree - until we get it inspected we won't know the cause but why the water ? also why fuel fillercap missing ?
Click to expand...

A bit left field, so I'm prepared to be shot down, but was the water rain water? Was the cap left off the fuel filler, and it filled the tank with rainwater, with some fuel then displaced into the bilge?
 
oGaryo said:
see post 29 Paul
Click to expand...

Agreed that it is not clear cut, but if there is no sign of a leak in the tank, or pipes, the filler is the next obvious thing surely, especially as the cap is missing? The OP says that only a gallon or so of fuel was actually pumped out, so the key question is, what happened to the other 30 odd? Unless it was siphoned out? However, who would siphon fuel out, then get a hose and fill the bilge with freshwater? Then tip some fuel onto the midberth matress? Methinks this is a case for Columbo :)
 
rafiki_ said:
Agreed that it is not clear cut, but if there is no sign of a leak in the tank, or pipes, the filler is the next obvious thing surely, especially as the cap is missing? The OP says that only a gallon or so of fuel was actually pumped out, so the key question is, what happened to the other 30 odd? Unless it was siphoned out? However, who would siphon fuel out, then get a hose and fill the bilge with freshwater? Then tip some fuel onto the midberth matress? Methinks this is a case for Columbo :)
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this.

Breather has come off, possibly years ago.

deck filler left off.

wash down water and rain water fills tank.

Once tank is fill to top of filler a syphon empties the floating petrol first , via the breather , once the floating petrol has gone water is syphoned out (the breather is high enough to soak bedding).

Easy to bung the deck filler up then use a dinghy foot pump to blow into the hull breather to see what happens, it should bow the bung out .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top