Petrol vs Diesel availability

[ontheplane]

Given the rise in popularity these days of the fourstroke outboard - even on boats that a few years ago would pretty much have been diesel sterndrive only, is anyone seeing any improvement in the availability of petrol on the marina?

I've always been forced into petrol boats due to initial purchase costs - but had to fill on trailer, or lug lots of jerry cans about as few marinas carry petrol.

Is anyone noticing a change in this these days?

Thanks

 

[rwoofer]

Given the rise in popularity these days of the fourstroke outboard - even on boats that a few years ago would pretty much have been diesel sterndrive only, is anyone seeing any improvement in the availability of petrol on the marina?

I've always been forced into petrol boats due to initial purchase costs - but had to fill on trailer, or lug lots of jerry cans about as few marinas carry petrol.

Is anyone noticing a change in this these days?

Thanks

I have to say that I continue to use Jerry Cans because even though there is petrol in my marina it is 30p per litre more (what I cannot figure out is that as a berth holder it is fuel at cost, but that is still 25p per litre more than the forecourt price). I am fortunate that I generally use only a jerry cans worth each trip, so it is part of my getting down to the boat routine.

 

[2hullsonemarinaberth]

I have never heard of a marina adding a petrol pump where there was an existing diesel one. With loss of various fueling barges, I would say that trying to get petrol while afloat is getting more difficult if anything. I'm at Northney at the moment, diesel - no petrol, but Sparkes is not too far (also MDL ) so some cost benefit, but am moving to Woolverstone where again there is only diesel. Which will mean filling up at Levington which I now understand charges extortionate prices. I have also asked a few Marina managers why they do not provide petrol, and the answers have been either 'no demand' (cobblers), or they do not want to encourage smaller boats, and the vast majority of the larger (more profitable) boats are diesel engined.

It would be great if there were a few more fuel barges around. They used to provide great service. Ideal places I can think of to site one are Poole, off Calshot, Chichester, the Thames between Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, and Harwich/Folkestone area, and somewhere in the Dover Margate area.

It would also be good to see a website with marine fuel availability and fuel prices - App anybody?

 

[westernman]

Around here, Med France/Spain, all the fuel stations seem to have both diesel and petrol.

 

[hlb]

Petrol+ outboard equals small tank, boat is not going to go far. Cost of installing petrol tanks as opposed to diesel at a marina. ££££. More. Not that diesel boats go far these days. But at least the tanks are already there.

Supplying any fuel these days is probably loss making. Petrol, a whole lot more.

Think that the only reason marinas still sell fuel, is because if they did not, who would go there?



A mate fills up once a year in Guernsey, he has big tanks, which lasts him the year.

 

[Momac]

Farndon marina (inland on the R.Trent) installed a new petrol refuelling facility a couple of years ago.
There are a good number of petrol engined boats here so I guess a fuel supply helps to keep the berth holders from straying. Also gives a reason to ban the practice of filling up with jerry cans.
A problem arises when anyone wants to travel a significant distance away from Farndon as the opportunities for topping up with petrol become scarce and inconvenient.

 

[Gary66]

We've been told that petrol availability is good around the med, but how does the price compare? We're looking to moor at Woolverstone and apart from cans there is a good supply of petrol in the Crouch area. Any one know anything more?

 

[l'escargot]

...what I cannot figure out is that as a berth holder it is fuel at cost, but that is still 25p per litre more than the forecourt price...

Probably down to purchasing power differential - supermarkets buying millions of litres for several hundred petrol stations and marinas buying a few thousand litres for one pump.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I have never heard of a marina adding a petrol pump where there was an existing diesel one. With loss of various fueling barges, I would say that trying to get petrol while afloat is getting more difficult if anything. I'm at Northney at the moment, diesel - no petrol, but Sparkes is not too far (also MDL ) so some cost benefit, but am moving to Woolverstone where again there is only diesel. Which will mean filling up at Levington which I now understand charges extortionate prices. I have also asked a few Marina managers why they do not provide petrol, and the answers have been either 'no demand' (cobblers), or they do not want to encourage smaller boats, and the vast majority of the larger (more profitable) boats are diesel engined.

It would be great if there were a few more fuel barges around. They used to provide great service. Ideal places I can think of to site one are Poole, off Calshot, Chichester, the Thames between Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, and Harwich/Folkestone area, and somewhere in the Dover Margate area.

It would also be good to see a website with marine fuel availability and fuel prices - App anybody?

Fuel barge in Poole is no more sadly, closed a year or so ago I think... Petrol at Cobbs beyond the bridges, not sure if anyone else around harbour does it.

 

[Chris_d]

Probably down to purchasing power differential - supermarkets buying millions of litres for several hundred petrol stations and marinas buying a few thousand litres for one pump.

This is the problem, friend of mine runs a small independant he reckons they make more on a Mars bar than the tank of fuel bought with it! and he has to shell out 40K cash every week
to keep the tanks full. So why would a marina install a petrol pump, it just doesn't make any financial sense at all.

 

[Momac]

So why would a marina install a petrol pump, it just doesn't make any financial sense at all.

There are a good number of petrol engined boats in the marina.
So the petrol at the waterside provides a service which helps retain and attract customers .
It also means a ban on refuelling from jerry cans for health and safety reasons, unless no one is looking.

 

[Chris_d]

There are a good number of petrol engined boats in the marina.
So the petrol at the waterside provides a service which helps retain and attract customers .
It also means a ban on refuelling from jerry cans for health and safety reasons, unless no one is looking.

Agreed but if it costs £100K to install a tank and pump then you make 0.5p profit a litre selling only a couple 100 litres a week there are better ways to attract customers
and make money.

 

[rbcoomer]

Red tape is part of the problem. We discussed this with the marina at Brixham and until such time as the Northern Arm of the breakwater is built and they can design suitable access for delivery of a tanker at a time, they aren't allowed to offer petrol. The problem in Brixham is that the diesel is delivered to the fish quay and the fuel barge is towed over to be filled. The Harbour Authority won't allow 11,000 litres of petrol (small tanker/third of mixed load) to be towed across the fairway - arguably for good reasons. I suspect with many old ports the problems are similar and unless there is large investment in new development and facilities, the opportunity to provide shore-side petrol is limited. Given the 10L jerry can limitation on forecourts (thankfully widely overlooked by most other than supermarkets), I'm actually surprised that legislation still allows fuel barges at all. It seems you can buy the raw materials to make a bomb more easily than fill up boat tanks for a day on the water so I can't think that anti-terrorism is the reason. I find it really annoying given the cost in many places to launch & recover if you want to take a boat to refill. Perhaps it's time for a duty cut for waterside fuel - after all, how many people would pump it out and transfer to their car? (And how many cars can pull up against the harbour wall at low-water to fill their tanks for that matter?)

 

[Momac]

Agreed but if it costs £100K to install a tank and pump then you make 0.5p profit a litre selling only a couple 100 litres a week there are better ways to attract customers
and make money.

I wouldn't know what it cost to fit the new petrol tank and pump. I don't own the marina.



.

 

[rwoofer]

I have only ever filled my tank up with a 20l army type metal jerry can. Absurd that it should be illegal, when the army deem it safe enough on the battlefield. Always the case when the law is an ass, people ignore it - rightly so (and even more so in other countries).

 

[AndieMac]

I wouldn't know what it cost to fit the new petrol tank and pump. I don't own the marina

I reckon Chris is on the money going on a costing exercise I did here locally ten years ago.

 

[webby]

I berth down in Mylor nr Falmouth. There is petrol available on the pontoon @ currently, £1.84 per litre. No petrol in Fowey not sure about Dartmouth so intend carrying 20 litre containers as back up. Filling from them can be a bit hit and miss; anyone recommend a decent transfer pump?

 

[AndieMac]

I berth down in Mylor nr Falmouth. There is petrol available on the pontoon @ currently, £1.84 per litre. No petrol in Fowey not sure about Dartmouth so intend carrying 20 litre containers as back up. Filling from them can be a bit hit and miss; anyone recommend a decent transfer pump?

A simple 20mm Jiggle Syphon can move a lot of fuel in a short time with no mess when being careful. I've seen one used on 200 litre drums, into a boat from the back of a pick-up.

 

[rbcoomer]

Hi Webby, there's petrol at Dartmouth, Torquay and I think Salcombe too if that helps.

 

[rwoofer]

I berth down in Mylor nr Falmouth. There is petrol available on the pontoon @ currently, £1.84 per litre. No petrol in Fowey not sure about Dartmouth so intend carrying 20 litre containers as back up. Filling from them can be a bit hit and miss; anyone recommend a decent transfer pump?

I use the jiggle thing with a 20l jerrycan and it only takes a few minutes to syphon. That way I'm getting petrol at £1.28 a litre from the local petrol station. £1.84 does seem a rip off.