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Old 09-12-2017, 01:28 PM   #1
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Just a few Questions...

Hello friends!
I am the new owner to an old boat, and she is just begging for a lot of attention and pride in ownership...

I posted in the Welcome Mat, so if you are following along there you already know the propellers (and possibly the electrical system) are shot. But what isn't so easy to see and what I am hoping to find help on, is how to sound or obtain a rough estimate of fuel in a tank with no sounding tubes (and a non functioning TLI)?

I am concerned because I have a several degree stbd list and the only thing I haven't been able to verify is the stbd fuel tank level.

Thank you shipmates!

Fry
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Old 09-12-2017, 03:06 PM   #2
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Guessing by the condition of the props that any fuel in there is going to be in pretty bad condition. Maybe salvagable for use in a diesel heater... As far as the list, in addition to the levels in the water and fuel tanks, be sure to take into account your battery inventory. Is the house bank still in place. A missing battery bank on the port side could account for some missing weight. Was a generator removed? Just need to inventory what is there and/or removed. Fuel tank level may be determined by tapping the sides if accessible and metal.
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Old 09-12-2017, 04:41 PM   #3
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If the deck fuel fill connects to the tank with a straight vertical drop, you could easily check fuel level with an old-fashioned dipstick.
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Old 09-12-2017, 05:54 PM   #4
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Hi Fry
Saw your introduction and responded, before I saw this post.

You will have either two or four fuel tanks under the two aft cabin bunks. Should be 125 gal each. Some have a tag on them that say 122 gal if I remember correctly. If you take up the mattress and the plywood deck plate under it, you will have full access to the tanks. They're easy to remove, just lift out, when empty so no problem there. If the electric gauges are not working, you can remove the fuel gauge sending unit from the center of the tank and dip each tank.

The most common reason for a list is the crossover valves between the port and starboard tanks are closed. If equipped with a generator, the fuel is drawn from the starboard tank(s) only and that alone with cause a list as the fuel is used.

Water tank and batteries, unless altered, should be centered on the keel line.

Notice I say "should be" a lot here, that's because Marshall made many custom modifications in style and setup during their production and little to no documentation behind it. In 1976 and 1977 there was nothing standard on the 37's, not even window curtains. You got a basic boat with alcohol stove, Ice box, no generator, settee, table, bow pulpit, radios, sounder, spot lights or anything else that didn't make the boat float. Either you custom ordered the "accessories" from the factory or the dealer added the options after delivery. Mine was dealer optioned. Fremont Electric in Seattle was contracted by the dealership to install the MDJE Onan generator, electric stove and double door Norcold, all the electronics and build the electrical panel. We had a cabinet shop build the salon settee and table.

Best of Luck.

PS: have a prop shop look at your props. As bad as they look, they can often be repaired and it's a lot cheaper than replacing them. The four bladed props would have been either an owner option or replaced at a later date. They were three bladed from the factory.

My Cable Chase Tag is 37-55
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Old 09-12-2017, 06:58 PM   #5
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Try using a laser infrared temperature gun. Look for the temperature change between fuel and the air above the fuel.
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Old 09-12-2017, 07:37 PM   #6
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Didn't think about the Temp Gun! Thank you for that one! it's a two tanker, 125 each (reported...not verified), no cross connect with centerline genny fed off of the stbd tank, >queen size bed on port side of aft cabin, storage on stbd side of aft cabin (so access to tank is LIMITED...le sigh).
The only thing I can figure is that the CHT Tank is what's causing the list, but tank isn't even half full and almost all gear has been completely removed from the ship...


Has to be the fuel tank...guess some reverse construction is needed...
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Old 09-13-2017, 12:46 AM   #7
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Can you tell if it was factory built with the port queen or modified by PO? Standard was two full size beds. Is your list to port.
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Old 09-13-2017, 12:51 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Edelweiss View Post
Can you tell if it was factory built with the port queen or modified by PO? Standard was two full size beds. Is your list to port.
Oh you said starboard list, ok. So you're light on port side then.
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Old 09-13-2017, 12:56 AM   #9
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Interesting, is the water tank full? It shouldn't cause a list, but when empty causes the stern to sit high and water doesn't drain off the decks very well.
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Old 09-13-2017, 08:08 AM   #10
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If you can access the side of the tank pore some hot water down the side then run your hand down where the hot water flowed. Where the temperature changes is your fuel level.
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Old 09-13-2017, 08:23 AM   #11
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Even with/if bends are present in the fuel tank filler lines you can easily check with a flexible metal or fiber type tape measure , just add a small cylindrical type weight to the tape end (preferable tapered)(to prevent jamming), coat with either special gauging compound or blue chalk,

Mostly used on larger vessels but works well on my boat with 1 1/2" fill pipes,

Cheers Steve
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Old 09-13-2017, 07:06 PM   #12
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This is the aft cabin, I'm assuming it was reconfigured this way by a PO...the bed is JUST smaller than a queen and JUST larger than a full. (Time to order custom mattresses and sheets I guess.)

The water tank is about 1/3 full from what I've been able to determine (TLI's should be mandatory. Le sigh).

I didn't think about it in a "too light manner, but being on the lighter side of fuel, and lighter side of water... I wonder if I'm listing stbd because the port side was lightened when they removed the storage/seating in the FB...?
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Old 09-13-2017, 07:07 PM   #13
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...lol...seriously, I promise I'm going to figure this picture thing out...
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Old 09-13-2017, 07:32 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSteve53 View Post
Even with/if bends are present in the fuel tank filler lines you can easily check with a flexible metal or fiber type tape measure , just add a small cylindrical type weight to the tape end (preferable tapered)(to prevent jamming), coat with either special gauging compound or blue chalk,

Mostly used on larger vessels but works well on my boat with 1 1/2" fill pipes,

Cheers Steve
I did similar.

Took a good piece of 1/8" nylon twine and fastened a thin torpedo shaped lead fishing sinker on one end. Lowering it down fill hole makes it easy to tell when it touches tank bottom.

I calced my tanks interior and found that each 1" depth = just a smidgen over 4 gallons. I have taped markers on the line for 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 full.

Although both tanks' fill tubes are not straight and in neither could I get even a very thin dowel to pass through... it's the stbd tank that has worst kink in the tube. I found that to get the torpedo shape sinker to easily slide past the kink all I need do was lightly mist the sinker with WD-40... then, the sinker slides right in!
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Old 09-14-2017, 10:53 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FryQ View Post
...lol...seriously, I promise I'm going to figure this picture thing out...


The forum likes "landscape" images. Crop your vertical photos into a "landscape" image and repost.
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