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Just a thought.

Anytime any of us boaters spill a couple of drops of diesel overboard, all the local, state and federal authorities have a fit, and no one is drinking directly out of the river.

Maybe you should just contact them for their opinion on whether a water system contaminated with diesel can be adaquately cleaned to be usable again in their opinion - they All Always love to give us their Opinions and Directives....
 
I'm glad to hear it's a SS tank with an access plate. Much better than other options with plastic or fiberglass.

Is the tank removable to allow a more thorough cleaning in a shop while you continue to enjoy your boat with a temporary replacement tank?
 
OK,OK-
made that mistake on our boat a few years ago. STBD walkway has two fuel and one water fill and I was adding diesel. After 5 gallons the handle clicked as though full. Luckily the tank (100 gallon SS under aft cabin bunk) was almost full. I was obviously upset as I knew the problems associated with the diesel contamination in the water heater, tanks, lines, etc. I turned the valve off to the tank and pondered it overnight and came up with the same approach originally mentioned by kulas44. I pulled the inspection cover on top, used my handy/ dandy wet and dry vac and drew off all of the diesel floating on the top. I seem to remember using the white absorbent pads for the remaining few "drops" still floating. After draining the water in the tank to about the last 1" using the water system pump straight into a sink, I vacuumed the remaining water and put in buckets just in case I missed something. I can't remember my exact approach on the fill hose cleaning, but I suspect I probably used Simple Green sprayed over and over in the hose followed by copious amounts of fresh water.Followed this by vacuuming tank and wiping out again. When I was satisfied all was clean, I filled the water tank back up, confirmed no visible diesel or odor, and it has been a non issue ever since. As long as diesel was never introduced into the system past that tank I think you will be fine.
 
This is not the first time this has ever happend, no need to over react. And no, they will not replace the entire system. The reason for the alcohol flush is to remove the detergent. If not done you will taste detergent for a long time, even longer than you would taste diesel if you just flushed the system with water. Personally, I like the taste of diesel better than detergent, at least the diesel can be rinsed out of your mouth with a good stiff drink. Detergent cannot.
 
Like posts 34 & 35. Thanks guys. Especially the tip on rinsing one's mouth out with a good stiff drink. Perhaps I should insist that the yard, at its' expense, fill up the tank for the final flush with 120 gallons of a good bourbon of my choice. Then I'd have to make the agonizing choice of do I really want to flush it all out at once, or sip by sip.
 
I DO like that approach!
 
dwhatty;265047[B said:
]Like posts 34 & 35. Perhaps I should insist that the yard, at its' expense, fill up the tank for the final flush with 120 gallons of a good bourbon of my choice. [/B]

That won't work. To overcome the detergent issues you need a peat product.

The best place in the world to find that is on the Isle of Islay, off the west cost of Scotland. Don't get the home brand product though, single malt is best. :socool:
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Man, you are taking the high road on the this one. Good on you, your attitude is commendable. But, it needs to be made right. In my State there is a department that offers free water testing kits for home owners. Pick up the kit and test, they will anaylize for a fee. Let 'em know what you're up against and they can isolate especially for fuel contamination. Good luck. There is always a remedy.

On a more light hearted note...There was a time when I was supervising the gas dock at a marina and a customer came in to dock with an old restored woody. After tying him off we went to fuel him up and he said, "NO. Nobody touches my boat. My son will do it." Okay, no problem. Well, the fuel fill was right in front of the empty flag pole opening. Yep, his son went for the flag pole hole and it was one big fascinating fountain of fuel covering the cockpit! **** does happen.
Good luck with your outcome. It will work out.
 
If it's a plastic tank, there will never be a complete cleanse. The plastic has a small amount of porosity in the surface. The smell will last forever. New tank. You may be able to get by with the RRRR squared. but it will return upon sitting for a while.

Hopefully (as mentioned) no one used the potable system, and the stuff didnt circulate in the pump, water heater and pipes. In all likelihood since fuel floats, and the tank suction is on the bottom, none has gotten as far as the potable system. RRRR is the solution. BUT, depending upon the age of the tank, and the time to clean it, it may be more cost effective to replace the tank. If its' a SS tank, then completely emptying it, and hot water will clean it to edible standards. Re reading your OP, it is a SS tank. filling it with water will displace the fuel out of the tank. They can suck off the top all they want. until they overflow the tank, and force the fuel out the top, it won't really get all the fuel out. Then empty the water and soap, rinse, and hot water rinse. Hot water (or steam) is how we clean fuel tanks on barges for change of cargo, or shipyard.

Good Luck.

The yard may be good. Just how good you are about to find out.
 
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Andy G said:
dwhatty;265047[B said:
]Like posts 34 & 35. Perhaps I should insist that the yard, at its' expense, fill up the tank for the final flush with 120 gallons of a good bourbon of my choice. [/B]

That won't work. To overcome the detergent issues you need a peat product.

The best place in the world to find that is on the Isle of Islay, off the west cost of Scotland. Don't get the home brand product though, single malt is best. :socool:
Click to expand...

Sorry. I am a Bourbon/Sour Mash man through and through and have long and happily experienced its corn based, multifaceted usefulness. Also, switching to a juice made by skirt wearing, sheep buggerers could seriously endanger my status as a genuine Jack Daniels landed gentry Tennessee Squire. (I have a genuine paper deed attesting to this courtesy of the influential patronage of Moonstruck)
Click to expand...
 
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dwhatty said:
Like posts 34 & 35. Thanks guys. Especially the tip on rinsing one's mouth out with a good stiff drink. Perhaps I should insist that the yard, at its' expense, fill up the tank for the final flush with 120 gallons of a good bourbon of my choice. Then I'd have to make the agonizing choice of do I really want to flush it all out at once, or sip by sip.
Click to expand...

Excellent approach! In that case, to safegard against any error in judgment, I would invite as many of us over as possible to sample those contamination levels.:)

I have to agree.....your attitude is commendable. Still, a call to your insurance agent might get an important asset on your side, if things aren't addressed as needed.
 
healhustler said:
Still, a call to your insurance agent might get an important asset on your side, if things aren't addressed as needed.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I will do that. Don't know if a situation such as this is covered but it can't hurt to call to find out.
 
dwhatty said:
Thanks. I will do that. Don't know if a situation such as this is covered but it can't hurt to call to find out.
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It would DEFINITELY be covered by the yards policy.........
 
I asked an underwriter at my insurer ( BoatUS )what to do if something happened while being repaired and was told its best to call them no matter what. BoatUS has stated they will intervene on my behalf if needed in these situations regardless who pays to be sure I'm made whole.

Perhaps if Pau Hana sees this thread he can verify.
 
I hate to say I agree...... But, even Lawyers have their useful times! :)
 
Andy G said:
dwhatty;265047[B said:
]Like posts 34 & 35. Perhaps I should insist that the yard, at its' expense, fill up the tank for the final flush with 120 gallons of a good bourbon of my choice. [/B]

That won't work. To overcome the detergent issues you need a peat product.

The best place in the world to find that is on the Isle of Islay, off the west cost of Scotland. Don't get the home brand product though, single malt is best. :socool:
Click to expand...

Ya, too bad you don't know anybody in that part of the world on this forum who just cruised over there.
Click to expand...
 
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Oh crap! :facepalm: I thought the 'hatty' of 'dwhatty' was New England-speak for 'hottie'! You're not 'D W Hottie'? (Well, maybe to Emily you are...especially in that pink hat!)

:hide:
 
healhustler said:
I have to agree.....your attitude is commendable. .
Click to expand...

Are the tank fills marked? Did they add Biobor or some other fuel treatment too?

Me, I'd have insisted that the tank be pumped out and cleaning begun immediately whether or not they had to stay to midnight. The yard I normally deal with would have done it too as this is not a trivial issue. But why were they fueling at all - gross negligence?

You are a lawyer as I recall so I'm sure you know of issues going forward.
These guys must be really good clients.

A few years ago a friend asked me to check out where the gas smell at his Lake Powell Bullfrog lakeside rental dock was coming from. Turns out the local dry land storage guys had gotten his boat ready as requested and mistakenly filled the waste tank with gas. Every time his wife, a heavy smoker, went to use the head the gas smell appeared as the vent tube spilled out the, ahem, crap.. At about 10 PM the boat was hauled the 10 miles back to the dry land guys where they worked all night righting the wrong. I was there and you can imagine the jokes, and relief for those of us that were docked next to them.
 
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FlyWright said:
Oh crap! :facepalm: I thought the 'hatty' of 'dwhatty' was New England-speak for 'hottie'! You're not 'D W Hottie'? (Well, maybe to Emily you are...especially in that pink hat!)

:hide:
Click to expand...

Hey! I sent you that pink hat and I have a picture of you wearing it to prove it. I'll bet Meg loves you in it. :D
 
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When you get the water tested, make sure they specifically test for diesel fuel. Water tests, including from local government, are limited in the number of contaminants that are in the test. You can have water tested for danged near everything but that gets expensive. Local government tests are looking for things like ecoli and contaminants that might be in the local aquifer. The test may or may not look for diesel fuel.

You really need to make sure the lab test for the one contaminant you know is an issue.

Later,
Dan
 
dannc said:
When you get the water tested, make sure they specifically test for diesel fuel. Water tests, including from local government, are limited in the number of contaminants that are in the test. You can have water tested for danged near everything but that gets expensive. Local government tests are looking for things like ecoli and contaminants that might be in the local aquifer. The test may or may not look for diesel fuel.

You really need to make sure the lab test for the one contaminant you know is an issue.

Later,
Dan
Click to expand...

Will do.
 
If you can get them to fill it with Jack I will personally come there with several of my best drinkin buddies, who are experts on anything that can be or should not be added to JD. I also am a deed holding Jack Daniels squire. One of my asteemed drinkin buddies is the president of the Montana Cattlemens Association and the secratary of the American Cattlemens Associaton. Bill Donald. He recently bought a barrell of Jack at the distillery for $20,000. Sold it at a cattlemens fund raiser and made $20,000 over the purchase. I hunt on the WD ranch and Bill and I had "super speciall select" JD with ice cream and apple cobbler. Good stuff. He will accompany me to your boat.
 
dwhatty said:
Hey! I sent you that pink hat and I have a picture of you wearing it to prove it. I'll bet Meg loves you in it. :D
Click to expand...

Yes, I have to admit, she thinks it's a 'hottie dhatty hat'.

kulas44 said:
If you can get them to fill it with Jack I will personally come there with several of my best drinkin buddies, who are experts on anything that can be or should not be added to JD. I also am a deed holding Jack Daniels squire. One of my asteemed drinkin buddies is the president of the Montana Cattlemens Association and the secratary of the American Cattlemens Associaton. Bill Donald. He recently bought a barrell of Jack at the distillery for $20,000. Sold it at a cattlemens fund raiser and made $20,000 over the purchase. I hunt on the WD ranch and Bill and I had "super speciall select" JD with ice cream and apple cobbler. Good stuff. He will accompany me to your boat.
Click to expand...

I hope he brings some Montana Steak, too!! It's the best in the West!
 
FlyWright said:
Yes, I have to admit, she thinks it's a 'hottie dhatty hat'. ...
Click to expand...

Al proudly wears that hat.

232323232%7Ffp83232%3Euqcshlukaxroqdfv699%3C%3Dot%3E2454%3D42%3B%3D66%3C%3DXROQDF%3E2%3B4489%3B655245ot1lsi
 
You mentioned using a fuel pump to move fuel between tanks. Is it possible the yard guys transferred fuel to the water tank (in error) while emptying a fuel tank in order to put a sight tube in? If it were my boat I would file a claim with my insurance company. They will make it right and if necessary they will subrogate. That way it doesn't get personal with you and the yard.
 
magicbus said:
Maybe after installing the valves on the fuel sight tubes they refueled using the water fill instead of the fuel fill. The fuel would float on the water and end up in the top of the water sight tubes.
Click to expand...

Now I understand how the diesel got in the water tank - they were looking for a place to park the diesel fuel when adding the fuel sight gauges. I can't imagine they pushed it in through the potable water system - but if they did, that might get it into the sight gauge. I think that might be what happened, and it would mean that the plumbing would be compromised.
 
refugio said:
Now I understand how the diesel got in the water tank - they were looking for a place to park the diesel fuel when adding the fuel sight gauges. I can't imagine they pushed it in through the potable water system - but if they did, that might get it into the sight gauge. I think that might be what happened, and it would mean that the plumbing would be compromised.
Click to expand...


What they did, and I saw part of it (but obviously not all of it), was work on one tank at a time.

The two tanks were each only about 1/4 full.

They pumped all the fuel directly from the port tank's sump drain valve fitting over to the starboard tank's sump drain valve fitting using a small electric portable pump inline on a hose connected between those two sump valves fittings.

They then installed valves on the port tank sight tube.

The port tank process was all I personally observed, but was told by the service manager that they just reversed the process to do the sight tube on the starboard tank.

It will be interesting, and possible entertaining, Monday morning when I go down to the yard. Sort of a whodunit. Let's what the mechanic who actually did the work says he did with the second tank.
 
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The interesting thing to see, did they itemize the bill for a fueling charge? How much did they add? what is the level of the tanks currently?
Even with the water tank being partially filled with water, once they filled it with diesel, the sight tube would have filled from the top, thus the level in the sight tube.

I would disconnect the supply fitting from the tank, and cap it, to completely eliminate the passage of fuel into the boats potable system. Let them deal expressly with the tank, and its contamination.
 
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