Fuel spills
- Thread starter BrentB
- Start date
The first time or two re-fueling Big C, the fuel lines "burped" before the tanks were full and resulted in a small splash into the water. Within about 10 seconds, before I could do anything about it, the "spill" had completely dissipated with no trace left. (now I know to "go slow" when the tanks are nearly full).
Anyway, while not reporting these marina spills, I have by nature of my job been involved in reporting similar spills to the National Response Center (NRC) and Department of Ecology as required. These were very small diesel spills (or leaks), from a vendor's delivery truck, near storm drains on a waterfront property of a large corporation with extremely conservative environmental policies...In all cases, NRC asked a couple of questions, said thanks for reporting, and have a nice day. After the 2nd or 3rd such occurrence they said to stop bothering them and not call again. Maybe it is different had there been direct discharge onto the water, although still it would have been such a small amount there wouldn't have been much that could be done about it.
-Mike
Anyway, while not reporting these marina spills, I have by nature of my job been involved in reporting similar spills to the National Response Center (NRC) and Department of Ecology as required. These were very small diesel spills (or leaks), from a vendor's delivery truck, near storm drains on a waterfront property of a large corporation with extremely conservative environmental policies...In all cases, NRC asked a couple of questions, said thanks for reporting, and have a nice day. After the 2nd or 3rd such occurrence they said to stop bothering them and not call again. Maybe it is different had there been direct discharge onto the water, although still it would have been such a small amount there wouldn't have been much that could be done about it.
-Mike
To avoid spills on the water.
Fuel up at a land gas station.
On the water, fold up a 'diaper' (fuel absorbent pad) and hold or tape it over the vent fitting.
Wrap another 'diaper' around the fuel nozzle over the fuel filler opening.
Fill slowly and try to avoid the topping up auto shut off.
There is also a 'no spill' bottle that covers the vent and sticks on by suction cups.
To really prevent any vent fuel spills, there is a kit which installs in the vent line and has a small reservoir to catch any overfill.
Fuel up at a land gas station.
On the water, fold up a 'diaper' (fuel absorbent pad) and hold or tape it over the vent fitting.
Wrap another 'diaper' around the fuel nozzle over the fuel filler opening.
Fill slowly and try to avoid the topping up auto shut off.
There is also a 'no spill' bottle that covers the vent and sticks on by suction cups.
To really prevent any vent fuel spills, there is a kit which installs in the vent line and has a small reservoir to catch any overfill.
gulfcoast john
New member
We avoid fueling on the water like the plague...it's WAY more expensive for the no-ethanol gas (because of the stricter regs re storing gas by the water). Marinas will sell us only 91 octane when we only need 87 per Yamaha. In scooting up the trailer bunks every 1-3 months, it scrapes off any marine growth I missed by bottom-painting on the trailer (9,000# of boat pressure removes more marine growth than 2,000# of boat wgt does). We're talking 150 gal of gas, and you're not.
Your insurance should cover minor accidental spills.
From BOATUS:
In Case of a Spill
If you have spilled or discharged a petroleum product:
Identify and stop the source of the leak.
Notify the marina for assistance.
Call the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
You must report the spill, while there can be fine for spills, the fines are even greater for failure to report or efforts to hide a spill.
Contain spill with oil absorbent pads or booms.
Properly dispose of used or saturated absorbents.
Do not use soaps or detergents on a spill. Not only is it illegal, it makes the situation worse. While the oil seems to disappear the soap allows it disperse throughout the entire water column, making it harder to remove, contaminating sediment and impacting more organisms.
In the big picture, if all the C-Dorys afloat lost all their fuel and oil overboard tonight, it wouldn't amount to a hill of beans compared to one bad barge wreck (16 barges carrying fuel) on the Mississippi river tonight.
PS see Deepwater Horizen movie, it's cool in IMAX.
Fuel with gas sock in place.
Happy fueling!
John
Your insurance should cover minor accidental spills.
From BOATUS:
In Case of a Spill
If you have spilled or discharged a petroleum product:
Identify and stop the source of the leak.
Notify the marina for assistance.
Call the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
You must report the spill, while there can be fine for spills, the fines are even greater for failure to report or efforts to hide a spill.
Contain spill with oil absorbent pads or booms.
Properly dispose of used or saturated absorbents.
Do not use soaps or detergents on a spill. Not only is it illegal, it makes the situation worse. While the oil seems to disappear the soap allows it disperse throughout the entire water column, making it harder to remove, contaminating sediment and impacting more organisms.
In the big picture, if all the C-Dorys afloat lost all their fuel and oil overboard tonight, it wouldn't amount to a hill of beans compared to one bad barge wreck (16 barges carrying fuel) on the Mississippi river tonight.
PS see Deepwater Horizen movie, it's cool in IMAX.
Fuel with gas sock in place.
Happy fueling!
John
Marco Flamingo
Active member
The tank that I bought to fit under my V berth is the strangest configuration. The vent fitting is right next to the fill fitting. As gas pours in it foams up and the foam is immediately forced out the vent tubing. A long distance to the outside vent wasn't enough to stop gas spitting out. I went with an expensive, but very effective, solution. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/racor--l ... fgodAkoDTw
But that didn't solve everything. When fueling in Roche Harbor, the attendant handed me a pump that must have been set for fueling a mega-yacht at 50 gallons a minute. A little squeeze of the handle and gas shot back out of the fill. The attendant came over with a spray bottle of soapy water, squirted a couple of shots around my boat, and the gas slick "disappeared" under the dock. It's an old trick that is more than frowned upon my the CG. I was then directed to a different pump.
Now, I always use the diaper around the fill pistol. I carry mechanic's moist handy-wipes in a dispenser and have them out, open, and ready to go. That way, I can use an already gassy diaper, a gassy pistol, and get right to the handy-wipes without touching anything aboard.
No, I haven't reported a spill. I could see where it would be a bit like flagging down the State Patrol to tell them that you were speeding.
Mark
But that didn't solve everything. When fueling in Roche Harbor, the attendant handed me a pump that must have been set for fueling a mega-yacht at 50 gallons a minute. A little squeeze of the handle and gas shot back out of the fill. The attendant came over with a spray bottle of soapy water, squirted a couple of shots around my boat, and the gas slick "disappeared" under the dock. It's an old trick that is more than frowned upon my the CG. I was then directed to a different pump.
Now, I always use the diaper around the fill pistol. I carry mechanic's moist handy-wipes in a dispenser and have them out, open, and ready to go. That way, I can use an already gassy diaper, a gassy pistol, and get right to the handy-wipes without touching anything aboard.
No, I haven't reported a spill. I could see where it would be a bit like flagging down the State Patrol to tell them that you were speeding.
Mark
Something to keep in mind when fueling on land: the boat will be sitting reasonably level on the trailer. It may not sit the same once in the water, AND there will be a slope as you back down the ramp.
When I drove the cruise boats in the Tetons, the company also ran the marina. One day, an older boat backed down the ramp (a half mile or so from the marina office), and the slope started a siphon that made gas pour out of the vent. By the time someone came running into the office to report it, that boat/trailer/truck had pulled out in a hurry and disappeared. Left us with a real mess to clean up. In a pristine National Park.
We had trained for this, and within 15 minutes had it contained with booms and were using absorbent pads to get the fuel out of the water. A few minutes later, the NPS folks showed up and demanded to know what happened... "Kinda busy here, guys, but it wasn't our doing." They wanted someone to blame for it - I will tell you that they take this very serious.
They wanted to know if we had put any soap in the water... nope. That will make the sheen disappear, but just pulls the fuel more into the water, rather than sit on top of it.
Some marina fuel docks are, likewise, serious about any spill into the water. We made it a point to open both fuel caps on the 25, listen for the sound in the fuel line to change, and kept a diaper (absorbent pad) at the fuel vent when fueling. And, not top the fuel completely up.
The larger marinas often have high and low pressure pumps for diesel, just one for gas. Go easy.
When I drove the cruise boats in the Tetons, the company also ran the marina. One day, an older boat backed down the ramp (a half mile or so from the marina office), and the slope started a siphon that made gas pour out of the vent. By the time someone came running into the office to report it, that boat/trailer/truck had pulled out in a hurry and disappeared. Left us with a real mess to clean up. In a pristine National Park.
We had trained for this, and within 15 minutes had it contained with booms and were using absorbent pads to get the fuel out of the water. A few minutes later, the NPS folks showed up and demanded to know what happened... "Kinda busy here, guys, but it wasn't our doing." They wanted someone to blame for it - I will tell you that they take this very serious.
They wanted to know if we had put any soap in the water... nope. That will make the sheen disappear, but just pulls the fuel more into the water, rather than sit on top of it.
Some marina fuel docks are, likewise, serious about any spill into the water. We made it a point to open both fuel caps on the 25, listen for the sound in the fuel line to change, and kept a diaper (absorbent pad) at the fuel vent when fueling. And, not top the fuel completely up.
The larger marinas often have high and low pressure pumps for diesel, just one for gas. Go easy.
I use a vent line whistle and have not had a spill with them installed and stopped filling when whistle stopped whistling.
https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/product ... wAodKZoDnQ.
Bill Kelleher
https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/product ... wAodKZoDnQ.
Bill Kelleher
Ditto on the fuel whistles. Easy to install just the cut the fuel vent line install the whistle in the right direction and add a couple hose clamps. You're done. Diesel or gas they work on the water and land. Whistle stops you stop pumping fuel. No brainer. They have diesel versions and gas versions.
D.D.
D.D.
I don't have any problem with fuel coming out the vents. The only problem I have is fuel fountaining out of the fill opening if I'm (or the attendant) are not really careful.
You can try one of these:
http://www.cleanwayfuelfill.com/Default.asp
You can try one of these:
http://www.cleanwayfuelfill.com/Default.asp
When fueling at a dock, ALWAYS tell the attendant that you want a "slow fill". Often, they can adjust the pump speed. I always have a diaper handy, and fill VERY slow, sorry if somebody has to wait, but that's the way it is.
Always listen to the fuel fill sound. It will change as it gets close to the top.
On my '05 Cruiser, I can watch the gas level as it comes up in the tanks. Always leave some head room.
** At Roche Harbor (and some other places) there is a second lever on the hose pistol, so that you can dial down the flow to almost a drop, or open it up to run the full 20 gal a minute.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Always listen to the fuel fill sound. It will change as it gets close to the top.
On my '05 Cruiser, I can watch the gas level as it comes up in the tanks. Always leave some head room.
** At Roche Harbor (and some other places) there is a second lever on the hose pistol, so that you can dial down the flow to almost a drop, or open it up to run the full 20 gal a minute.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Reporting a minor accidental fuel spill you caused on the water will involve you
in bureaucratic red tape. If you have time and money to spare, go ahead.
It used to be vogue to squirt detergent on any spilled gas/oil. This now is a
no-no. Apparently, combining the two lengthens and delays the natural
degradation of the crud.
We have seen from the BP Gulf oil spill tragedy, though abysmal, organisms in
sea water actually degrade and eventually eliminate the petroleum gook
which comes from dead organic material from long ago x pressure.
So, use care out there but don't sweat the small stuff.
Aye.
Grandma used to say, "Sometimes total honesty is not a virtue."
in bureaucratic red tape. If you have time and money to spare, go ahead.
It used to be vogue to squirt detergent on any spilled gas/oil. This now is a
no-no. Apparently, combining the two lengthens and delays the natural
degradation of the crud.
We have seen from the BP Gulf oil spill tragedy, though abysmal, organisms in
sea water actually degrade and eventually eliminate the petroleum gook
which comes from dead organic material from long ago x pressure.
So, use care out there but don't sweat the small stuff.
Aye.
Grandma used to say, "Sometimes total honesty is not a virtue."