Safely onto a mooring but engine problem

[FairweatherDave]

Going to take my time and digest all the suggestions. Situation resolved by phone help from Sea Start. Multiple bleeds and setting up to draw direct from jerry can. Important note ..... Fuel return line also needs to go to jerry can. Fortunately Seastart advised me there . Learnt a lot.
Happy at anchor now, and really glad I'm not rolling about off Seaview. No more from me tonight!

 

[FairweatherDave]

There is no good way to put this. I ran out of fuel.:disgust:
There is no defence, a large polished Darwin award for me.

Were a defence allowed (which it is not) ..... I have to say I was very suprised when I put my dipstick in the tank to find about 2cm only. So I had been motoring for a good 4 hours at near 3000 rpm with a very weedy boat. So I was not in economy mode. But I was convinced I had started the day with pretty much a full tank. This was based on the idea I had filled the tank as normal to reduce condensation over winter, and had perhaps motored 3 hours absolute maximum since. Hypothetically someone could have pumped some out my tank, stealing the fuel whilst the boat was on her swinging mooring all winter. More likely perhaps I over wintered with 2/3rds of a tank and I have used more fuel over the winter than I thought. Doesn't matter, I should have checked the tank before setting off on a motorised windless voyage to the Isle of Wight. Worra p*****r, grrrr. (Tank size is 60 litres)

Please be nice when I start posting about re-installing my fuel lines

 

[Lodesman77]

Do you carry spare cans of fuel? I always carry a couple of 10l cans in a locker in case of a tank leak/fuel line rupture or similar disaster which would empty the main tank. And if you have a problem such as yours you can pour one in just to make sure...

 

[colind3782]

Nobody is bullet proof. A lesson learned and you can move on :encouragement:

 

[Sandy]

There is no good way to put this. I ran out of fuel.:disgust:
There is no defence, a large polished Darwin award for me.

Were a defence allowed (which it is not) ..... I have to say I was very suprised when I put my dipstick in the tank to find about 2cm only. So I had been motoring for a good 4 hours at near 3000 rpm with a very weedy boat. So I was not in economy mode. But I was convinced I had started the day with pretty much a full tank. This was based on the idea I had filled the tank as normal to reduce condensation over winter, and had perhaps motored 3 hours absolute maximum since. Hypothetically someone could have pumped some out my tank, stealing the fuel whilst the boat was on her swinging mooring all winter. More likely perhaps I over wintered with 2/3rds of a tank and I have used more fuel over the winter than I thought. Doesn't matter, I should have checked the tank before setting off on a motorised windless voyage to the Isle of Wight. Worra p*****r, grrrr. (Tank size is 60 litres)

Please be nice when I start posting about re-installing my fuel lines

Well done for confessing...

Bet you check the tank every time you set out this summer.

Which reminds me I need to add another jerry can to my tank.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Do you carry spare cans of fuel? I always carry a couple of 10l cans in a locker in case of a tank leak/fuel line rupture or similar disaster which would empty the main tank. And if you have a problem such as yours you can pour one in just to make sure...

Yes. I had a large 20 litre can and that is what saved my bacon.
The significant point is I did not consider I could have run out of fuel, I was SO convinced I had plenty. I leapt at the blocked fuel filter solution as I had not changed the filter over the winter. Also my car a couple of weeks ago got a blocked fuel filter, I get it annually serviced but apparently this does not automatically mean they change the fuel filter. Fuel filters were on my mind.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Well done for confessing...

Bet you check the tank every time you set out this summer.

Which reminds me I need to add another jerry can to my tank.

You are not wrong Sandy .

 

[Just_sayin']

Anyone that said you had air in the system were on the money then :encouragement:

 

[ghostlymoron]

I'm surprised Seastart didn't suggest checking fuel level - it's the most common cause of 'engine failure'.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Yes, I have wondered that. But by the time I had surrendered and joined Seastart I had introduced plenty of opportunities for air to get in, by changing the primary and secondary filters. Clearly I projected huge competence over the phone ........alternatively maybe he did suggest checking the fuel but did it in such a gentle way while my brain was rather scrambled and convinced the tank was full that I may have said "yeah, no, of course I have plenty of fuel". The whole thing was a series of phone calls while we rolled about and felt c**p. I may have got through to him first time at the point I had rigged up the full jerry can and had fuel but was failing to bleed. Unfortunately I then went back to retrying the main tank as at that point I had not rigged a return pipe to the jerry can, and did not have a further spare length of flexible hose. So ultimately I sacrificed the copper pipe to the main tank to make up a return to the jerry can, (if that makes sense). He also offered a boat and mechanic to come out twice, which would have incurred the standard call out charge, but I declined as I really wanted to prove I could sort it (albeit with their phone advice). I learnt much, including how much I dislike bleeding betas. I am a wuss!

 

[lpdsn]

There is no good way to put this. I ran out of fuel.:disgust:
There is no defence, a large polished Darwin award for me.

Take the positives. You had a problem, you got onto a mooring, crew were safe, you eventually found the cause & the RNLI were not disturbed.

Anyone who hasn't run out of fuel at some stage in their sailing career probably doesn't have an engine.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Take the positives. You had a problem, you got onto a mooring, crew were safe, you eventually found the cause & the RNLI were not disturbed.

Anyone who hasn't run out of fuel at some stage in their sailing career probably doesn't have an engine.

Thanks. I do take the positives! But I will be getting the negatives too for some time to come

Two other factors. I learnt a lot about the impact of a weedy boat (proper weedy). It really slowed us down and I have not experienced that before. Because we have never stayed in all winter. Not a suprise but did not help my passage plan. The boat was coming out of the water for a scrub and antifoul this week but I was wanting to grab our last chance with such pleasant weather before a month on the hard. Should have dried out and spent an overnight at East Head scrubbing, but being Easter my wife and son might not have been up for that.

Second thing. The Sea start guy suggested that if the engine has stopped at a particular point sometimes the lift pump is ineffective, and you need to rotate the engine. That causes doubt when you are bleeding the engine.

 

[RichardS]

Second thing. The Sea start guy suggested that if the engine has stopped at a particular point sometimes the lift pump is ineffective, and you need to rotate the engine. That causes doubt when you are bleeding the engine.

That's true ... although you can feel when the pump is on the cam as the lever does not feel as if it is pumping.

Richard

 

[Stemar]

Thanks for the reminder - I need to dip my fuel or I might be joining you on the embarrassed step