refuelling a petrol powered mobo

F

Freebee

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Oct 2001
Messages
2,311
Location
Alton, hants
Visit site
i have a 400 litre petrol tank on the boat, I don't particularly want to pay inflated marina prices for petrol but realise to collect fuel at a supermarket i am not sure i allowed to fill a 5 gallon jerrycan. has anybody got a smart solution to this??
 
Last edited:
I fill 25 litre plastic outboard tanks at my local supermarket fuel station. Never had any problem.

Sometimes when I've needed a gallon or so for small outboards, strimmers etc, I've siphoned it from my motorbike.
I'm sure it would be possible to tap into the fuel circuit of a petrol, fuel injection car to pump fuel from the tank to a boat.
Some motorbikes have 'quick connect' fuel connections which would make connecting to the boat tank easy and safe.
 
There are plenty of mobile refuellers about for petrol and diesel . You just need to meet up at a harbour with vehicular access and pump away. I have explored this at times for my main petrol outboard but my tanks are too small to do this (only 20galls) but 90 gallons should be doable.
 
I use a couple of jerrycans for our mowers and other machinery and have never had the slightest problem ( other than lifting the things ) filling them at petrol stations.
 
I have regularly filled up multiple fuel containers with petrol for work, in either a pickup or a van with a bulkhead, and either plastic outboard tanks or steel 25l jerry cans. Assuming I wasn't being asked to do anything illegal, this suggests that it's necessary to carry petrol separately from the passenger compartment of your vehicle. I think there may also be a limit on how much you can carry in one go, but it's certainly well into the hundreds of litres.
 
The RYA have a document that explains the rules.
You probably shouldn't be carrying 100's of litres in a car, but can in a van! I don't make the rules!

BUT your biggest issue may be filling stations who believe they know the rules but don't and stop you filling up.

**Most** petrol stations near a slipway will be used to boat owners filling up "demountable fuel tanks" which are incidentally a fuel tank not a can. Explaining that to the Jobsworth from Tesco may be a challenge.

HOWEVER - if you find an unmanned ASDA Petrol Station... ...you are sorted.

I know of people who fill up at Supermarket Filling Stations (Supermarkets tend to train their staff and expect them to follow rules) - but they will whip the tank out the boot without the attendant seeing, then put it at the back corner of the car with the least view from the counter and fill up. To the counter staff you appear to be filling your car. Although at 400L she might think something is odd!
 
my local spar garage let me fill up as many plastic fuel tanks as i want. by the jobsworths at the Morrisons nearer the yacht club say only max 5L, any more has to be a metal jerry can. so, F them, no business.
 
I have filled up to 4 steel jerry cans at a time at our local BP garage on many occasions. Tried at ASDA and got sent away.
 
VicS said:
Just the ticket.

Tow it behind the car, ......................fill it on the way to the boat ........................... then find that the marina wont let you fill the boat from it.
Click to expand...
You raise a point that other's haven't. It may not be the problem of transporting fuel that's the killer, but marina regulations about handling fuel. Not sure what the rules are where I am now, but James Watt Dock had quite strict regulations about not refuelling except at the fuel berth, where they had all the equipment to handle oils spills etc. The dock is a heritage structure, and Clydeport, who owned the dock but not the marina, imposed this regulation on the marina. Of course, there was nothing to stop you tying up at the fuel berth and then refuelling from your own cans, but refuelling on your berth was (if seen!) not permitted.

Given the mess that a few gallons of diesel can cause in a marina, that sort of regulation does make sense, and it only takes one slip for a whole can-full of fuel to go in the water.
 
colingr said:
I have filled up to 4 steel jerry cans at a time at our local BP garage on many occasions. Tried at ASDA and got sent away.
Click to expand...

Large supermarket filling stations may well not risk infringing the various regulations surrounding the filling of cans etc and perhaps jeopardising their licences or other site "permissions* for the sake of the odd customer with wanting to fill a few cans Their employees will have a simple set of rules to follow to ensure that they don't. Rules that may well exceed the legal requirements

A local independent may be prepared to risk it esp in rural areas.

If you own a mob with petrol engines there is only one safe , sensible and legal way to refuel it and that is at the marina fueling dock.

If it costs more than you like TOUGH! You should not have bought the thing in the first place!
 
Last edited:
VicS,
If you are going to disrespect and swear on The Forum ( and I'd much prefer that you did not ) please do it properly rather than using a weasel word ..........

Using a word that is sort of, but not quite, a swear word is nastier than the real thing: it's a way of saying that you know you should not be doing this but you are going ahead anyway.
 
Pirx said:
VicS,
If you are going to disrespect and swear on The Forum ( and I'd much prefer that you did not ) please do it properly rather than using a weasel word ..........

Using a word that is sort of, but not quite, a swear word is nastier than the real thing: it's a way of saying that you know you should not be doing this but you are going ahead anyway.
Click to expand...

:ambivalence: ???
 
macd said:
:ambivalence: ???
Click to expand...

The post has been edited and "the word" removed: thank you VicS

I don't mind the odd bit of strong language when I'm sailing, but I have two young grandchildren here for the hols who love sailing and often look over my shoulder at the screen ..........
 
Last edited:
The law seems pretty difficult to tie down as but as far as I can see The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014 No. 1637) only permits the storage of no more than 30 litres in not more than 2 suitable portable containers without notification the authorites. This is storage not transportation but one could assume the same minimum would apply.
[h=3]The Petroleum Regulations define a suitable container as one with a nominal volume not more than 10 litres if made of plastic or 20 litres if made of metal. The total volume must be 10–15% greater than this..[/h]
I think anyone carrying more than 5 litres of petrol in a plastic can or 20 litres in a jerrycan or dedicated ob tank in a personal car without any external warning of your carriage of dangerous goods need their head examining.

You are putting other road users, members of the public and the emergency responders at serious and unnecessary risk should you be involved in an "incident" .
Carrying the petrol is the least of it. Transferring it from can to boat is also a hazard that could be avoided or mitigated.
There are plenty of independent operators that can safely refuel your petrol powered mobo from a fuel bowser properly earthed and supplied with the supporting safety gear in the event of spillage or at worst ignition should your local marine fuel provider not not offer petrol at the dockside.

Taking risks with petrol and more importantly the vapour is not worth your premature cremation.

Saving a few pennies really is not worth the risk with Petrol.



 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top