Is Fuel Polishing really necessary?

[pmagowan]

In that scenario I think I would switch over to a Jerry can as an auxiliary tank. You would need to put both the fuel and return lines into the Jerry can. Should get you in to somewhere where you can then work on the main tank.

 

[[2574]]

Does anyone ACTUALLY get water from a marina fuel dock? If so, why does ANYONE ever buy from that dock again? I seriously doubt the local powerboat folk would stand for that and the dock would be closed for lack of business and lawsuits. Same with dirt. In the US it is required by law and vigorously enforced, that every pump has a 30 micron filter. I imagine this is the same in the UK.

Corollary. The water is NOT coming from the fuel dock. It is leaks and condensation. The dirt is coming from bug or from long storage with copper piping.

Just sayin', if it was coming from the source, trucks wouldn't run. So I'm thinkin' that's not the problem.

About twenty years ago I took on dirty diesel from a marina in the Solent. As it happens it was one of two possibilities, no way of determining which marina it was. It resulted in needing six new injectors and a refurbishment of the high pressure fuel pump. the remedial work/parts needed was very expensive, we were also stuck in Guernsey for over a month while it was sorted.

 

[noelex]

In that scenario I think I would switch over to a Jerry can as an auxiliary tank. You would need to put both the fuel and return lines into the Jerry can. Should get you in to somewhere where you can then work on the main tank.

That is exactly what he did.

 

[thinwater]

About twenty years ago I took on dirty diesel from a marina in the Solent. As it happens it was one of two possibilities, no way of determining which marina it was. It resulted in needing six new injectors and a refurbishment of the high pressure fuel pump. the remedial work/parts needed was very expensive, we were also stuck in Guernsey for over a month while it was sorted.

If it truly came from the marina, there would have been a lot more people with complaints than you. A few inquires with local boat owners would have turned up the truth.

So we're not really sure about this. I also wonder how it got past the engine filter. A problem there too, it seems.

 

[Plum]

Does anyone ACTUALLY get water from a marina fuel dock? If so, why does ANYONE ever buy from that dock again? I seriously doubt the local powerboat folk would stand for that and the dock would be closed for lack of business and lawsuits. Same with dirt. In the US it is required by law and vigorously enforced, that every pump has a 30 micron filter. I imagine this is the same in the UK.

Corollary. The water is NOT coming from the fuel dock. It is leaks and condensation. The dirt is coming from bug or from long storage with copper piping.

Just sayin', if it was coming from the source, trucks wouldn't run. So I'm thinkin' that's not the problem.

In over 40 years of owning boat diesel engines I have never had a problem with anything other than clean fuel from marinas (docks) . Obviously a few do and are posting here. I have always relied on perfectly sealed filler caps and yearly sampling/inspecting the bottom of the tank. Also, I've never kept tanks full on the beleif that this reduced condensation in the tank. Am I just lucky?

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[R.Ems]

I filled up in Roscoff during a local fuel tanker strike, and meandered over to Devon.
Crossing Salcombe Bar, the engine grumbled, and once tied up, I found this.
They must have literally been scraping the barrel, it was very gritty as well as the jellyfied bug.
Since then, I usually ask when the boatyard last filled their bunkers...

 

[[2574]]

If it truly came from the marina, there would have been a lot more people with complaints than you. A few inquires with local boat owners would have turned up the truth.

So we're not really sure about this. I also wonder how it got past the engine filter. A problem there too, it seems.

It must have come from a marina, we had no other source of fuel. It wasn’t water, it was dirt. Quite a new boat, the tanks weren’t corroding. We were heading south after our Guernsey stop so no chance to enquire locally and (amazingly) those were the days just before sailing fora which would have assisted a local enquiry.

 

[[70521]]

It is an interesting angle, sounds like he has spent a year re-inventing the wheel! It's another version of a Racor or Separ filter, but not as good as you can't see the build up of water in the bowl.

I've been giving this a bit more though and wonder how this device works when it is moving in three planes of motion?

 

[graham]

I think some of the problem is over large tanks.
Many yachts dont use a tankful in a whole season.

When I replaced my tank a couple of years back I put in a 30 liter tank with a rack next to it for stowing jerry cans if and when needed.Engine uses 2 liters per hour at 5.5knt cruising speed.

OK we have to fill up more often and occasionally have to fill from cans at sea but hopefully the fresher fuel we are now running on will be less prone to water absorbtion and diesel bug.

PS we also use M16 at 1 mil per litre.

 

[geem]

I think some of the problem is over large tanks.
Many yachts dont use a tankful in a whole season.

When I replaced my tank a couple of years back I put in a 30 liter tank with a rack next to it for stowing jerry cans if and when needed.Engine uses 2 liters per hour at 5.5knt cruising speed.

OK we have to fill up more often and occasionally have to fill from cans at sea but hopefully the fresher fuel we are now running on will be less prone to water absorbtion and diesel bug.

PS we also use M16 at 1 mil per litre.

I couldn't imagine such a small tank. Ours is 500 litre. Tank is GRP. Built in to the boat. 3.3 litres per hour at 6 knts. I would like a bigger tank?

 

[Graham376]

I think some of the problem is over large tanks.
Many yachts dont use a tankful in a whole season.

Only a whole season? I last topped my 45 gallon tank off 3 years ago so, some of the remaining 30 gallons of white road diesel will be 4 and 5 years old! No sign of bug 3 weeks ago, maybe because well dosed with Fuel Set and we don't have UK low winter temperatures. I can remember 50+ years ago when I worked on plant hire, we sometimes had to light fires under fuel tanks when the fuel had waxed.