Filling up fuel tank, without sloshing diesel over deck or into the water.

T

TimH

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I'm always keen to keep the fuel tank filled up, especially when we come into winter. Before filling up I spray water over the teak deck near to filler cap. This stops diesel soaking into the teak, if there is bubbling up of diesel from the filler pipe or overflow from the breather pipe.

Two things drive me bats. First the breather pipe is in the cockpit. This is bad design, as over flow of diesel ends up in the cockpit. Second it is impossible to fill the tank without spilling diesel. If you hear the gurgling suggesting you are near to having the tank full, all is lost. However fast you put the cap on, fuel will flow out of the breather. Inevitably this spill ends up in the sea which I hate seeing.

Has anyone got any tips? I've been thinking of a piece of cork on some coat hanger wire with a flag on the end but think this could end in diaster as the blessed thing slips down into the tank!!!!! I'm also not obsessional enough to keep records of engine hours,RPM and plots of potential fuel useage.

PS On the newer version of the boat the breather is on the outside of the boat. Helps with one problem but doesn't stop the pollution.
 
same thing happens to all of us I think... This is what we do.... under the breather I tape (with duck tape) a pedal bin liner & with large quantity of paper towel screwed up in (I always have a industrial size roll of blue paper towel on board, but kitchen roll would do), the paper towel does 2 things, gives the bag shape so it catches any squirting fuel coming out the breather, and also of course soaks it up. I also wrap a quantity of blue towel round the neck of the fuel nozzle so any over spill etc immediately soaked up in paper... has worked for me for a few decades. .

a chap was fined £750 for spilling diesel in the Hamble at the fuel pontoon earlier this year... was not a big spill either, so this is an important subject, and I would certainly not want my fuel tank breather on the outside of the boat for 2 reasons, water ingress and possible fuel spills!
 
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You don't indicate how you are filling the tank?

Do you know how much is in the tank before you start?
 
jiggler tube that you use with a jerry can to start siphoning. pull out jiggler from fuel can when full (jiggler tube has a captive ball at jerry can end. when you jiggle up and down it moves fuel up through tube until siphon starts)
 
Piece of string with a small weight and cork on the end, clip to nozzle, lower into tank. Of such a length that it just goes slack as the fuel reaches 2" below the filler neck. Tie something to the top end which will not go through the filler.
 
Not had a problem, but on my boat the breather pipe loops up under the side deck such that the highest point is above the filler.
Also it's possible to hear the change in pitch of the gurgle as fuel level climbs up the filler pipe.
I keep some kitchen roll handy but to date haven't had to clean up more than a drop or two.
On one boat I used to sail on a lot, there was a very fine teak deck which was anointed with washing-up liquid to prevent fuel soaking into the deck.
 
Same happens on our relatively modern AWB. Fuel comes squirting out of the breather into the gunwale as soon as the gurgling is heard. What we do is, put a pile of kitchen roll over the breather, weighted down by a fender usually, hear the gurgling, hear the squirt, then mop up instantly with more KR and some Fairy liquid. Thankfully, we only fill up 1-2 times per season, so its not a big deal.
 
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We had no fuel tank gauge so I used to take a cap off a pipe on top the fuel tank and use a fold up ruler to measure the depth of fuel. I knew the tank capacity so I measured it when full and then as the fuel went down and then made cms-litres list thus avoiding over filling. Obviously with a fuel gauge you know how much diesel is needed to fill the tank, provided it is accurate.
 
Can you jam a hose over or into the breather pipe (or detach the breather pipe) and put the other end into a container to catch the spillage?
 
I should have been clearer. Filling up is at a fuel berth. If you can hear any gurgling it is too late.......Like the idea of the whistle, difficult to fit pipe over breather but suspect it will have to be Heath Robinson duck tape, plastic bag and paper towel. Fuel gague is usual vague Volvo thing: full, possibly halfish full, empty.

Thanks for replies
 
Davis Instruments makes a plastic bottle with a hole in the side and rubber suction caps to hold it over the breather outlet to catch spillage. It's called a No-Spill.
 
TimH said:
I'm always keen to keep the fuel tank filled up, especially when we come into winter. Before filling up I spray water over the teak deck near to filler cap. This stops diesel soaking into the teak, if there is bubbling up of diesel from the filler pipe or overflow from the breather pipe.

Two things drive me bats. First the breather pipe is in the cockpit. This is bad design, as over flow of diesel ends up in the cockpit. Second it is impossible to fill the tank without spilling diesel. If you hear the gurgling suggesting you are near to having the tank full, all is lost. However fast you put the cap on, fuel will flow out of the breather. Inevitably this spill ends up in the sea which I hate seeing.

Has anyone got any tips? I've been thinking of a piece of cork on some coat hanger wire with a flag on the end but think this could end in diaster as the blessed thing slips down into the tank!!!!! I'm also not obsessional enough to keep records of engine hours,RPM and plots of potential fuel useage.

PS On the newer version of the boat the breather is on the outside of the boat. Helps with one problem but doesn't stop the pollution.
Click to expand...

We installed a "Splash stop for fuel" from Vetus this spring - have eliminated this problem.
Vetus have several models - link here http://www.vetus.com/fuel-systems/splash-stop-for-fuel.html

This is the type we installed
FSA3816_1.jpg
 
Bearing in mind that discharging any oil into the sea (accident or not) is a criminal offence you really need to get a good grip on bunkering fuel. My best tip would be to work out how much fuel your tank holds at a safe level. Work out how much fuel you have either by gauge or preferably by means of dipping it if that's possible(remember to account for the trim of the vessel). Then only pump enough fuel to bring you to a safe level. This way your not relying on visually watching the pipe or listening to the sound and you can rely on the flow meter at the pump which should be calibrated. It is probably best to make your own dip for your boat, made of a broom handle or other suitable piece, marked in centimetres and form a table which you can laminate and keep onboard. It might take a bit of experimenting with measured jugs of fuel to work out how many cm on the dip equal a litre etc. The other benefit of this is that as your dip shows you nearing the top you can slow the rate down so as you top off without spillage.
You should also get some bungs for your cockpit drains and some oil absorbent pads to soak up any spillage. In the event of a spill. then the best dispersant for diesel is without a doubt standard fairy liquid.
 
knuterikt said:
We installed a "Splash stop for fuel" from Vetus this spring - have eliminated this problem.
Vetus have several models - link here http://www.vetus.com/fuel-systems/splash-stop-for-fuel.html

This is the type we installed
FSA3816_1.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks Having seen this I just contacted a local suplier.
Had the expierience recently of explaining a small spill to USCG prefere to avoid repeating.
Yachts all seam to have a been very poorly designed for fueling.
 
Can I ask what happens when you fill with the splashstop? Do you hear the gurgling still? What stops you overfilling - is it the automatic stop on the fuel filler nozzle?

Thanks

TS
 
penfold said:
Fit a sight glass or a gauge and use it. What the hell is the splash stop made of; 24ct gold?
Click to expand...

At over £100.00+ I was just about to say that!

We have a sight gauge on both our fuel tanks, when the gauge is full, I have 20 ltrs to go and I'm full to the brim, no spillage, simple. I also use a clear pipe from the deck to the fuel tank and, it is always, along with the sight gauge, in sight when filling. If I really want to know exactly how fuel I need, I can measure the height of the fuel in the sight gauge, look at the calibration table and know to within a liter, how much fuel I have/need to take on.

You guys are looking to over complicate the job, take it back to basics and save yourself some stress - and wasted diesel!
 
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