Fuel hose folly: Bad story gone good

[Bigjim]

I have had my share of tragedies. More often than not I have come through better on the other side. This is one story where I totally lucked out for the better through no fault of my own.

Refitting our used Columbia 10.7 that we bought back in December. Old boat, left on the hard for probably 10 years or so. I've been giving her a lot of love all summer and enjoying sailing her along the shores of Lake Michigan near Waukegan, IL.

One project was to get the engine control panel working again. Neither the Tachometer nor the fuel gauge were working, both looked original to the boat: 40 years old. Bought two new gauges about three months ago, but after installing them, neither came to life. The fuel gauge read "E" for empty and the tach never budged.

One of my crew members is an electrician. He tested the circuit and found we were getting power to the panel. So, the next step was to check the sending unit in the fuel tank. He climbed down in the locker and tested the unit and found it was getting current, as well. I would have to replace the sending unit.

But first, I wanted to fill up the gas tank, just to see by chance if the tank was actually empty. We went to the fuel pier and topped off the tank. Or, at least we thought we did.

The attendant at the dock filled the tank and said he saw fuel halfway of the fuel fill hose. He pumped 3.5 gallons. At the time, we had only used the engine a handful of times and only to go in and out of the harbor. The engine is a Yanmar 2QM. I had no idea how economical that engine was. My Yanmar 1GM sips fuel.

Thinking the tank was full, I used the boat for over a month without refueling thinking I was burning down the fuel enough to allow me to remove and replace the sending unit. About three weeks ago I climbed down into the locker and removed the sending unit. No fuel came out of the tank so I had succeeded in burning the fuel down enough.

I used the old sending unit to find a compatible replacement. Last week I installed it. Once it was wired up I turned the batteries on and started the engine, thinking that the gauge was wired into the ignition system. But, the gauge read "E". I was dejected. Now, I thought I'd have to replace all the wiring too.

Since we were pulling the boat out of the water soon, I needed to fill up the tank regardless of the state of the gauge. I had sailed all season without a working fuel gauge, one more week would not matter.

While I was down in the locker, I noticed that the fill hose was routed behind a shelf in the locker and as a result dipped about 4-6 inches below the inlet to the fuel tank, like in the following diagram (A):



I thought this was an odd arrangement and posted a question in this forum. Others agreed with me that the arrangement was not a good idea.

So, Tuesday, before I took the boat over to the fuel pier, I went back into the locker and cut 8 inches off the hose and rerouted it directly into the tank. So, now it looks like the (B) diagram.

I motored over to the fuel dock and had the attendant start to fill up the tank. He asked me, "How much fuel will you need?"

I said I didn't know. I hadn't filled up for over a month. And, we had used the engine for many hours, due to light winds. I guessed 3-6 gallons.

He kept filling. After a while he stopped and walked over to the pump.

"It's at 9 gallons."

I told him to keep going. I told him the gauge was broken. I had no idea how much fuel I needed. He told me he was concerned that the fuel might not be going into the tank. I told him I never had problems with leakage before. I even opened the locker and looked at the fill hose and fitting I had just adjusted. No leaks. No smell of diesel.

He kept going.

Finally, after another few minutes he heard fuel coming up the fill hose. He looked in and saw it half way up, exactly as he had three months ago. The fuel pump said 21.7 gallons. The Columbia is supposed to have a 22 gallon tank.

Wow. You could say I was running on fumes.

But the story get better.

I paid for the fuel and untied the boat and motored back to my pier confidant now that the tank was actually full.

At my pier I tied up and reached down to shut off the engine and remove the ignition key. I was shocked to see that the fuel gauge now said "F" for full. I started laughing.

The sending unit did work. It always worked. The tank was empty when I installed the new gauge. I didn't believe the gauge was working! The scary part was that I did not know whether the tank had ever been full before. Since the fill hose was not installed properly, the tank could have been half full or nearly empty for a long time! We could have run out of fuel a dozen times.

So, pay attention to the small details. Something like the routing of a fill hose sounds like a stupid detail, but it could save your life or, at the least, your boat in the end.

[Wotname]

What can I say but

[Jim Cate]

Good one!

If you don't already do this, now is a good time to start: make a fuel log, one where you record amount added to the tank each time you top up, and record the engine hours at that time. In short order you will be able to estimate fuel usage based on engine hours, probably more accurately than the gauge can measure (tanks being odd shapes in many cases). Noting he reading on the gauge for each measurement point is a good idea too... can generate a rough calibration curve for the instrument.

You will likely find that it uses between one and two liters per hour,depending on throttle settings, and that info is so very useful for planning purposes.

Good luck with it.

Jim

[HopCar]

Nice job on catching the hose problem.

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Good one!

If you don't already do this, now is a good time to start: make a fuel log, one where you record amount added to the tank each time you top up, and record the engine hours at that time. In short order you will be able to estimate fuel usage based on engine hours, probably more accurately than the gauge can measure (tanks being odd shapes in many cases)...

Jim

Good idea. I will start to do this next year.

[US1Fountain]

Good deal!

Curious though, even though the hose had the dip in it, you still should have been able to fill the tank, maybe just a tad slower to allow the fuel to flow thru the dip, correct? Im reading this as the attendent stopped fueling because he saw the fuel in the hose and assumed it was full, without noticing the fuel wasn't rising in the hose as he was filling?

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Nice job on catching the hose problem.

Yes, that is sailorly thinking, right there. Now, check the vent line for issues and clean out the skin fitting. I'll wager several generations of spiders have lived and died in there and you can have fuel pump issues trying to draw down a badly occluded tank that can puzzle and frustrate. But you are thinking correctly in problem-solving. Might want to carry a jerrycan of fuel and throw it in halfway through the season, too.

[WanderingStar39]

In spite of being a lifelong car/home/boat DIY repairman, I still sometimes fix the wrong thing. One notable incident comes to mind: While in Florida leaving a boatyard, I noticed that the engine temp was cool, and didn't warm even in a couple of hours of motoring. My own experience and the manuals indicate that this is a sign of a stuck thermostat. Which on my 4-107 is under the heat exchanger. In spite of a chipped shoulder bone, I managed to raise the heat ex and change the thermostat. Still runs cool. Hmmm, check the rest of the system. Test the old thermostat: works well. Finally realize that the sensor is failing, an easy fix. Well, I won't need to change the thermostat any time soon.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by US1Fountain

Good deal!

Curious though, even though the hose had the dip in it, you still should have been able to fill the tank, maybe just a tad slower to allow the fuel to flow thru the dip, correct? Im reading this as the attendent stopped fueling because he saw the fuel in the hose and assumed it was full, without noticing the fuel wasn't rising in the hose as he was filling?

I read it the same way but cannot think of a reason for the dip in the hose? Maybe it was quitting time for the guy installing it so he didn't cut it to the right length.

[Qayaq]

I got it the other way round. My new to me boat has a 200ltr tank with a dipstick marked with 4 cuts 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, full. After recent engine removal etc running a bit late for my first sail in her. So dipped the tank 1/4 full. Ok Ive got 50 litres. Iam going 20 miles round trip. Absolute worst case at 5 litres an hour.(24 hp engine) 20 litres burnt means I get back to the marina with 30 ltrs. So I motored past the fuel dock for my first weekend out on my new to me boat. In Auckland harbour, ( you do know whats going to happen next dont you) not much wind but getting the hang of sail controls, anchor up at Islington bay for the night, and Sunday head the 10 miles back to the marina motor sailing down the busy harbour avoiding the cruise ship thats coming out from Queens Wharf. Then I hear the little electric fuel pump running flat out and just a moment later the engine stops.. I'm single handed by the way. So after dodging the cruise ship while trying to tack ino the tide and feeling a little stressed out up comes a Navy ship and a freighter plus all the usual Sunday pleasure boat traffic. FInally find somewhere to drop the hook undersail. The PO had measured the height of the tank forward and had cut the dipstick to suit, not taking into account the slope of the tank stern to bow, I had probably left with 10 ltrs. Mind you I always had wanted to learn how to anchor under sail but preferably not in the middle of a load of moorings dodging ships constrained by draft.. OOPS

[Mike Banks]

A salutatory lesson for us all.

I have seen fuel tanks having their outlet at the bottom of the tank, where the fuel hose had been connected to the tank water drain faucet. I have seen water tanks similarly connected, with the outlet at the lowest point of the tank.

Those low point drains are NOT for fuel connection in any marine application. The prop[er outlet is a pipe set into the top of the tank but reaching down into a small sump at the bottom, or ending ON the bottom with an inlet hole or groove either side of the pipe end.

What this means is that a loose or damaged hose will not dump all of your fuel or water into the bilge.

I like the idea of re-using other kinds of tanks built from stainless steel or marine grade alloy, or even steel if properly coated inside and fitted with anti-surge baffles fitted.

One should always be aware of the potential for disaster that exists in all tankage.

[olaf hart]

Originally Posted by Mike Banks

A salutatory lesson for us all.

I have seen fuel tanks having their outlet at the bottom of the tank, where the fuel hose had been connected to the tank water drain faucet. I have seen water tanks similarly connected, with the outlet at the lowest point of the tank.

Those low point drains are NOT for fuel connection in any marine application. The prop[er outlet is a pipe set into the top of the tank but reaching down into a small sump at the bottom, or ending ON the bottom with an inlet hole or groove either side of the pipe end.

What this means is that a loose or damaged hose will not dump all of your fuel or water into the bilge.

I like the idea of re-using other kinds of tanks built from stainless steel or marine grade alloy, or even steel if properly coated inside and fitted with anti-surge baffles fitted.

One should always be aware of the potential for disaster that exists in all tankage.

Like the boat I had with two fuel tanks.
One time I turned over to the second tank but forgot to change the tap on the return line.
Managed to pump fuel out of the second tank to the first and then to the bilge from the overflow.

[Midnight Son]

Just make sure you have extra fuel filters on board next year. Low fuel, for a long time, with high humidity??

[Bigjim]

Update to the story: Sailboat data said my boat had a 20gallon tank, but we pumped 21gallons into it. I then checked my owner’s manual and t said the tank holds 30 gallons. I’m not sure, but I think it’s closer to 30. I’ll measure the tank and do some calculations for its actual volume.

I’m just glad the gas gauge works now.