Well, I just did something really stupid...

Something I felt was next to impossible because "I always pay attention..."!
We are in Portland ME for a few days and I wanted to top up the water tanks. Normally I fill our tanks with our watermaker but not in a harbor like this one so...
While thinking about where the best place to purchase coffee I began filling not the water tank but rather the fuel tank!!!!! Yes with water!!!

I didn't get very much in before I realized my stupidity but, I am now awaiting the nice man with the fuel polishing machine...
Bruce

Can happen to anyone. Do you think color coded caps would help?

Also, if you had a drain at the bottom of the tank, you could just drain out the water.

Seevee said:

Can happen to anyone. Do you think color coded caps would help?

Also, if you had a drain at the bottom of the tank, you could just drain out the water.

Click to expand...

The caps do have different colored lettering... I'm thinking of turning the fuel caps red now!
Tomco builds these tanks without dip tubes. Rather they have fuel taps on the bottom of each tank. I believe it shouldn't be that difficult to clear the water.
I just can't believe I did this!
Bruce

Honestly, I'd rather accidentally put a little water in my fuel, than a little fuel in my water. This happens all the time. I had a friend get 30 gallons of diesel in his gasoline tank. I had a friend put 20+ gallons of gasoline in his water tank. The one we hear about every year and still surprises me is the fuel in the rod holder. A rod holder looks nothing like a deckplate. Talk about not paying attention!

I'm so glad my water is in a completely different spot than my fuel. My biggest fear is that the pumpout will hook up to the stbd fuel tank accidentally because they are right next to each other.

Seevee said:

Can happen to anyone. Do you think color coded caps would help?.

Click to expand...

I have three different wrenches: fuel, water, waste. Only.

Lets see how all the "strive for perfection" TFers respond.

Some are not forgiving of errors on any level.

If you wait a day, you can siphon off the water on the bottom of the tank without expensive polishing...if you can get a tube to the bottom.

psneeld said:

Lets see how all the "strive for perfection" TFers respond.

Some are not forgiving of errors on any level.

If you wait a day, you can siphon off the water on the bottom of the tank without expensive polishing...if you can get a tube to the bottom.

Click to expand...

Fuel taps are right at the bottom of the tank, no dip tubes.
Fuel polish guy concurs. No need to polish.
We will simply drain at bottom until clear.
Thanks,
Bruce

Don't feel bad Bruce. We all do stupid things from time to time.


Red cap on the fuel may help you to remember.


Good luck Mate.


Cheers.


H.

Wonder if the we all do stupid things from time to time will carry over to the destroyer collision threads....

I'm pretty confident that I'd never make that mistake, not because I'm cautious and perfect, but just the opposite -- even though we've had the boat for a couple years now I can never quite remember which side which deck fills are on, so I always have to look at the caps. And it's a good thing the caps are all chained down or I'm sure I'd accidentally swap them.

psneeld said:

Lets see how all the "strive for perfection" TFers respond.

Some are not forgiving of errors on any level.

Click to expand...

We have ALL made silly and sometimes costly mistakes. Top on my list is leaving the sea strainer top open after leaving port--I overheated within 10-15 minutes. As a result, I now have a checklist and review before departing.

We learn from our mistakes. I believe color coding is a fantastic idea!

In my case the key used to open the cap is not the same for water and fuel this avoid confusion or at least reduce it

L

Fuel gauge broke so I used a stick to estimate what I needed. Then decided to add a little little bit more. Inspection gasket was on it's last legs so the little little bit more went right into the bilges. Many rolls of paper towels later...

cabin smelled like a diesel tank farm for weeks.

Also, if you had a drain at the bottom of the tank, you could just drain out the water.

Or with a built in sump , it would be a nothing.

Sorry about the issue Bruce. Sounds like it will work out just fine.

The good news is that Tomco put fuel drains at the bottom of the tanks.

The bad news is that the water and fuel fills are anywhere near each other.

Mine are in completely different parts of the boat. My biggest danger will be when I put petrol in my tanks instead of diesel. That will be a harder mistake to fix.

I suppose the biggest hassle will be how to dispose of the 30 gallons of water you drain off.

Friend did the same thing,water in his fuel. He went to a sign shop and had them make rings to go around the fills. Red ,fuel, blue ,water and black for waste. Vinyl with a glue backing. Been on for several years.

I had concerns that it might happen to me also. I had labels made out for each deck fitting. Blue label for water, black for waste and yellow for diesel. I mounted them on the toe rail right next to the particular deck fitting. I can still make a mistake, but more difficult now.

That's one of the things I really like about my boat. Fuel fills are in the stern; water fills are in the bow; no side decks to facilitate drag a hose to the wrong fill. Guess I could still put some fuel in the waste tank though.

Ted

Deckape said:

Friend did the same thing,water in his fuel. He went to a sign shop and had them make rings to go around the fills. Red ,fuel, blue ,water and black for waste. Vinyl with a glue backing. Been on for several years.

Click to expand...

Long required for aircraft fuel fillers.

FF said:

Also, if you had a drain at the bottom of the tank, you could just drain out the water.

Or with a built in sump , it would be a nothing.

Click to expand...

When I said the fuel taps are off of the bottom of the tank, I meant it!
No tubes at all, fuel (and in this case some water) come right out the bottom.
Should be relatively painless...except for the barbs coming from my wife...
Bruce

Be careful on the first run since the drain. That tap may not be on the lowest corner of the tank and so there may be some water hiding in the tank. Keep an eye on your racor bowl and bounce the boat a little.

Bruce B said:

Should be relatively painless...except for the barbs coming from my wife...
Bruce

Click to expand...

Some things you live through. Some things you live down.

Ted

Ski in NC said:

Be careful on the first run since the drain. That tap may not be on the lowest corner of the tank and so there may be some water hiding in the tank. Keep an eye on your racor bowl and bounce the boat a little.

Click to expand...

I suspect my wife will have me in the engine room for the entire time...
All kidding aside, I will be watching it like a hawk!
Sigh...
Bruce

Bruce I'm sorry this happened to you but at least it seems like it will be relatively easy to correct.

Ken

psneeld said:

Lets see how all the "strive for perfection" TFers respond.

Some are not forgiving of errors on any level.

If you wait a day, you can siphon off the water on the bottom of the tank without expensive polishing...if you can get a tube to the bottom.

Click to expand...

PS
Thks for this idea.
For all the stupid stuff I do, for the same reasons, not paying attention, I don't think it would ever have occurred to me to siphon the bottom of the tank.

Thanks.

Richard on Dauntless

SoWhat said:

Fuel gauge broke so I used a stick to estimate what I needed. Then decided to add a little little bit more.

Click to expand...

Ha
That's the story of my life. Determine exactly, then do more or less.
I already wrote about how less ib the paravanes turned out to be a big mistake

Going over on fuel too. That will be published by week's end.

One of the many thoughtful design elements of my old Hatteras was that fuel, water and waste ports were all in entirely different parts of the boat from each other, impossible for the addle-brained (that would be us) to mess up.

This reminds me of me in Iceland. You know how here in the US at an auto filling station, the diesel pumps have a green rubber sheath, and the gasoline are black?

In Iceland, it is reversed. My first fill up (diesel vehicle), was about ten gallons in with the green handle when I looked over at the pump and realized the black handle clearly said DIESL in white letters. WTH?????

It was an interesting trip for sure.

That`s great AT tank design, Nigel Calder would approve.
So easy,tank caps are identical except for words moulded into the caps. Do it without your specs, in a hurry, distracted, and oops. Hope it comes good, it should.

This post reminds me of the time my wife and I were hauling our fifth wheel rv down to Lake Placid and I pulled in for diesel. Little did I know that in that part of the country they sell kerosene at the same pump. Of course I never noticed and hit the buttons for a fill up, removed the nozzle (wrong one) and just as I was starting to pump a little old lady from the store pokes her head out and says "you sure you want to put kerosene in your truck?" ALMOST!! On the boat I am OCD about the fill caps since mine are side by side. I check 3 times and if anyone else is adding either water or fuel, I ask them to confirm as well. It sucks Bruce but looks like it won't be too painful.