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#569228 - 09/20/17 01:01 PM
Re: Tips for Safe Fueling
[Re: Boatbottom]
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,310
tpenfield
Admiral
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Admiral

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,310
Cape Cod, MA
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Interesting discussion. If I am not careful I get fuel spitting out the vent. Part of the issue is where the manufacturers put the vent, and the orientation the tank. The vent is typically right next to the fuel fill on the tank, the aft portion of the tank is often down hill from the forward end. As you fill this traps air which compresses for a little while and then at some point expands, forcing fuel out of one of the openings. In my case it's the fuel vent. When I have a gang, I ask people to go sit on the bow of the boat, changing the tank orientation and then I don't get the fuel puking through the vent. The belly tanks used in many boats are 'supposed' to have an internal vent tube within the tank so that the fitting can be located at the rear of the tank, but the actual vent opening is at the forward end of the tank (via the internal tube). Some of the more economical tanks may not have such a feature. However, with gasoline sloshing around in the fuel tank, as it does, the vent tube/hose can easily get some gasoline in it. Probably the best thing to do is not completely fill the tank and fill it slower than you normally would. I think it is a matter of each boat and how sensitive the design of the fuel tank and hoses are, as to the filling characteristics. My 24 foot Formula would tend to burp even when nearly empty if it was filled too fast. My 33 footer seems to be able to take fuel at a higher rate.
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#569259 - 09/24/17 09:38 PM
Re: Tips for Safe Fueling
[Re: Jack T]
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,484
Lou C
Admiral
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Admiral

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,484
Long Island NY
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Well here's the cliff notes version: the poster had a 2005 Seaswirl Striper that he bought used, and he had some water in the bilge, and a faint gas smell. This is an outboard powered boat by the way...........Here's the story:
Hi everyone, I'm Lewis. I became a Seaswirl owner in February 2017 when I purchased a 2101 WA w/ 200 Yam. I looked and waited to find this specific boat as I loved the look and design of Seaswirls. Anyhow, the boat had 244 hrs on it and ran perfect, never had any issues or reasons to assume issues. I checked everything over, or so I thought, pretty thoroughly. I made numerous trips in it since buying up to Memorial Day weekend. I completely filled up the tank, which I had never done, as I knew it was going to be a long weekend. We proceeded to go out into the Gulf fishing that day. While being out for couple hours I noticed a faint gas smell. I ran bilge, it emptied alittle bit which I thought was odd, but figured just water from loading and spray while running out. Continued on with our day until docking about 4pm at the house. After turning battery off and tying up the boat and I decided to turn my battery switch back on to run bilge one more time so that I could see the next day if anything accumulated. When I turned it on all hell hit me. I was immediately consumed but fire from the battery hatch and from the gas tank access hatch which blew off. My fight or flight kicked in and I dove over the port side into the water. What I didn't know is that the fire was coming from the floor and I couldn't see so I basically jumped right through it. The fire lasted maybe 3 seconds. It was all fumes thankfully as I basically had a full tank. The fire left me in the burn unit at University of South Alabama for 19 days. I am fine now, but will have scars and hopefully not too many issues down the road. After hiring an attorney and having numerous investigations done, it turns out the fuel sending unit screws were completely stripped out leaving it basically sitting on the tank. So when I filled up my tank it cause the unit to be pushed out some or more easily moved due to the tank being completely full. I am trying to find out if any work was done on the tank by the previous owners, but haven't gotten all that answered yet. I am writing this and showing the pics to hopefully save the trouble and harm for someone else. The spark that caused this came from my battery somehow. It was just the right conditions. I was very blessed to only suffer the injuries I did as well as no one else getting hurt. I had just taken my 3 girls ages 9, 6,and 4, off the boat not 30 seconds before. Sorry for dragging the story out, but I just wanted everyone to know that it was a normal boat day like I'm sure everyone has. Mine just happened to end in a bad way.
Last edited by Lou C; 09/24/17 09:40 PM.
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon 4.3 OMC 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 Six Selectrac 07 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 HEMI Quadradrive II
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#569260 - 09/24/17 09:46 PM
Re: Tips for Safe Fueling
[Re: Jack T]
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,484
Lou C
Admiral
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Admiral

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,484
Long Island NY
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And the moral of the story is...sniff always sniff if you smell gas....do not turn anything electrical on.... check all fuel system components every year and make sure to lift up those access panels and check the sending unit gasket, screws, wiring, and all hoses.
Last point... I know that nearly everyone will say, the bilge pump & auto switch should be connected so that it cannot be shut off by turning off the battery switches, for the obvious reason that the boat could sink if it took on water when docked or moored.
Well I disagree, and I have mine wired so then the battery switch is off EVERYTHING IS OFF. In the event that I ever had a fuel leak, the last thing I want, is the auto bilge switch to turn on the pump! I just have to leave the batt switch on either #1 or #2 when the boat is moored. I never turn it off when its moored and have never had problems this way. If others used the boat besides myself I'd just put a sign ("do not shut off battery switch when leaving boat, leave on #1 or #2).....
Last edited by Lou C; 09/24/17 09:47 PM.
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon 4.3 OMC 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 Six Selectrac 07 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 HEMI Quadradrive II
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#569285 - 09/28/17 01:55 AM
Re: Tips for Safe Fueling
[Re: Jack T]
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,689
Frantically Relaxing
Admiral
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Admiral
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,689
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I don't even run a bilge blower. It's probably one reason why I didn't blow up our Sun Runner when the main fuel inlet hose was leaking. And there was the first time I fueled up the SkipperLiner, and came back 2 weeks later, and smelled gas. Some boaters would've turned the blower on to get rid of the fumes. There was over 40 gallons of gas in the blige, and if I'd turned on the blower it's quite likely we'd been blown to kingdom-come. Me, I sniff, as BB noted above, raw gas is very easy to smell. Just my opinion but a bilge blower is oxymoronic- If I don't smell gas, I don't need it. If I DO smell, gas, the LAST thing I'd do is switch it on. And I don't buy into the 'ignition protected' BS. Bilge pumps are supposed to be, and look what happened to Lewis. Any whatsoever compromised wire connection is all it takes.
If I smell gas after fueling- like with the Sun Runner (which has been the only time in my boating life), I'll open the hatch and wait until it's aired out to suit me.
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CHAPARRAL
by canuckchick71. 04/16/18 12:28 PM
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