Had an interesting, ah, . . . experience when unloading my
boat. I had a full 20 litre
fuel jerrycan I wanted to take back to shore. Carefully lifted it out from the
cabin up into the
cockpit. Hefted it onto the
cockpit seat. I climbed over the
safety lines, swung the jerrycan up, over and down to rest on the edge, ready for me to jump into the dingy tied up beside me and lower down the jerrycan.
However, as I swung the jerrycan up, I noticed a wet mark on the seat where it had rested. That made me frown. Quickly jumping into the
dinghy and lifting the jerrycan down, I saw wetness where it had again rested for those few seconds on the edge. I turned the jerrycan over hugging it to my chest and felt along its bottom. Indeed it was
fuel coming from somewhere but I could not see where.
I was faced with a serious problem. Holding the fuel container upside down seemed to solve the problem of
diesel leaking out but I could not remain standing in my
dinghy until when ever. I also could not put the container in the back of my car with it leaking or back on the
boat. Then I suddenly realised what I could do with it.
I put the jerrycan on its side in the dinghy, hoping that this would take some pressure off where the leak was coming from, reducing the flow. I could see no hole so it was a mystery. Leaping up into the boat from the dinghy, I grabbed some old
cleaning rags plus found the jerrycan nozzle. Back in the dinghy, I checked for fuel. Only a little had leaked, less than when it was sitting upright. So far so good.
It only took a few minutes to row like a madman over to the public wharf, tie up the dinghy, heft out the jerrycan, hold it upside down and tear over to my car. Happily, my car runs on
diesel and the tank was down just over 20 litres - I had been doing the distance/fuel-useage calculations in my
head hoping the tank would take the whole jerrycan. It seemed to gurgle out forever down the nozzle into the tank and my arms started quivering with fatigue holding it upside down up in the air. It also burped diesel out over me which added to my 'adventure'.
Finally, the jerrycan was empty, I put it in a large plastic bag, sealed it and put it in the back of my car. Later, back at the place I was staying, I checked the jerrycan and was shocked to find the seam broken. I have had the jerrycan for about 15 years and never a complaint. It is rated to carry diesel and petrol but I am so glad I had diesel. I am also glad it did not leak all its contents either in the boat or in the car. Bit scary thinking about it really.
__________________