Fuel Tank Leaks

[Gallivanters]

The Western Carabbean has has been a challenge! Counter currents and head winds and big seas! Enough to make my wife want to jump ship and stir-up our primary (biggest) fuel tank and plug the supply line with what just may have been 20 year's worth of accumulated diesel sludge. I can't be sure because I'd never cleaned the tank in the five years we've owned Gallivanter.

So it became a problem while getting our *** kicked motor sailing from Panama's San Blas Islands to Bocas del Toro. Constant rain, counter current and foul wind worked against us. We had fuel problems and fouled prop (requiring two trips overboard while underway) and it took 58 hours instead of the 38 I'd reckoned. We anchored, exhausted at nightfall. Our guests were already packed and couldn't wait to get off the boat...

I had a fuel problem and discovered a few liquid layers of diesrl bio growth sludge at the bottom of our primary fuel tank ... so I cleaned it all out with a flat paint scraper ... and removed a half-bucket of sludge.

And cleaned it well.

Next day - I started to fill the tank with diesel and suddenly noticed a fuel leak into the bilge! Yikes!

Long story short - I wrestled with and lifted our primary 50 gallon SS fuel tank out of the bulge, cleaned it all up and discovered several holes in the bottom of the #&%@&%^$ER!!! SLUDGE was the only thing sealing thr bottom of out tank for the past five years!

And the tank is too big to get through the companionway.

I spun it in all directions and discovered the leaks in the bottom. Next - I tracked-down a welder of stainless steel, yesterday, in Panama! and made a plan to fix it on Tuesday - New Bottom Plate - $200 - Too Easy!

Try that in Newport or Ft Lauderdale or Mallorca!

To Life!

Kirk

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

I had a fuel problem and discovered a few liquid layers of diesrl bio growth sludge at the bottom of our primary fuel tank ... so I cleaned it all out with a flat paint scraper ... and removed a half-bucket of sludge.

And cleaned it well.

Next day - I started to fill the tank with diesel and suddenly noticed a fuel leak into the bilge! Yikes!

Kirk

Hi Kirk,

Thanks for keeping your sense of humour ! What else can you do ? Also thanks for the addition to Nautical terminology :- "Sludge happens ! *~**"

Richard

[lynger1]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

The Western Carabbean has has been a challenge!

Yes good fun thats wy i always have 600x400x1.6 mm s/steel plate on board any holes can be temp fix with this and some pop rivets

Saved me in 1996 when piercing hull above waterline Worth steel Rio on dockside

don't leave town without this now

lynger1