Filling diesel fuel tanks

[wernerp]

Hi all
I'm a newbie
53 foot POWLES cruiser with V8 92's
I plan to get fuel at a fuel barge ( good price) but am concerned about fuel contamination.
I have a home built fuel polisher but is there any way of cleaning the fuel as it is pumped on board without substantially slowing fill time
Main fuel tank is 2000 liters, plan about 500 liter initially
Any tips?
Many thanks
Werner P

 

[GoneDiving]

For 500ltrs, a large filtering funnel will suffice.

If you are going to be doing regular 2000ltr fills, with very dirty fuel or fast pumps you can build a larger version using drop in filters. See 12:40 on the attached video: https://youtu.be/wlYzP6nZA1Y

Either way, ensure that your onboard filters have an effective water separator.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. If the barge is delivering fuel every day then they probably maintain their filters. I would ask the company how they filter the fuel. If they are a reputable company then you are probably ok.

 

[Cigatoo]

Agree with Dave. The barge should be able to give you specifications has to how and to what level the fuel is filtered. You will probably be one of their smaller customers. Commercial people will demand this information I would think. Find one of their regular customers and get some feedback.

 

[TowLou]

If they turnover a lot of fuel you will be ok.

 

[Comodave]

Same as buying fuel at a marina. You want to buy at a marina that turns over a large volume of fuel. The barge probably does that but I would ask to make sure.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

All good points. I find marinas that have commercial fishing boats. They tend to have large turnovers. The small, mom and pop marinas don't turn over much. Stay away from these in the beginning of the year. Once fresh fuel has been delivered, you should be OK.

 

[Simi 60]

For 500ltrs, a large filtering funnel will suffice.

If you are going to be doing regular 2000ltr fills, with very dirty fuel or fast pumps you can build a larger version using drop in filters. See 12:40 on the attached video: https://youtu.be/wlYzP6nZA1Y

Either way, ensure that your onboard filters have an effective water separator.

Tried the one in pic on a run out to Vanuatu but way to slow.
Gave up after 5 minutes and let the racors do their job.

If we go overseas again we'll get a 240v Bowser pump with a golden rod filter attached
Couple of hundred bucks on ebay

This >>>>>
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1721003...MdaCQ1gHAdV2vw%3D%3D|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2047675

Filter is a Baldwin B10/Golden Rod
This>>>>>> https://www.ebay.com/p/193597249



The one in the video you linked to will stop particulate to 5 mic but not water

 

[GoneDiving]

Tried the one in pic on a run out to Vanuatu but way to slow.
Gave up after 5 minutes and let the racors do their job.

If we go overseas again we'll get a 240v Bowser pump with a golden rod filter attached
Couple of hundred bucks on ebay

This >>>>>
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1721003...MdaCQ1gHAdV2vw%3D%3D|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2047675

Filter is a Baldwin B10/Golden Rod
This>>>>>> https://www.ebay.com/p/193597249



The one in the video you linked to will stop particulate to 5 mic but not water

See the qualifications in my original post about volume to be transferred and water. The OP seemed concerned about very dirty fuel, hence my options.

I'd agree that your suggestion would work for already clean fuel. If available, others' posts are probably the best of all: ensure you're buying from a reputable, high flow seller in the first place.

Cheers

 

[Hippocampus]

When cruising internationally and if questionable in home country followed the following rules.
Ask when delivery occurs. Don’t get fuel day of delivery. Foamy and stirred up.
Try to get fuel second or early third day after delivery with proviso it isn’t a small storage tank so you aren’t getting the bottom of their tank.
Confirm there’s filters on the draw lines from their tanks.
Haven’t found drawing some off into a glass container helpful. Too small a volume and you can’t wait long enough to decide if it’s good.
Can’t have too big a pre filter. They all slow things up particularly as you go down in micron size.
Locally try to buy by the tank truck. Distributor adds appropriate additives just before delivery (heating oil, road or marine) and usually get a volume price break. Good turnover so less likely to have water, bacteria or particulate. Otherwise get it wherever the fishing fleet goes. On occasion will arrange to split a truck with another boat. Most distributors will allow two boats next to each other. They want the truck emptied when they leave.
We go visit fuel docks and look around before deciding whether to get fuel there. Like to see the set up. May even hang around to get a feeling for volume turn over.
Didn’t do that once before leaving from Hampton for Antigua. Quality yard and most of the boats in the rally where staying there. Contaminated 2 of our 4 tanks. Went through a dozen Racors that passage as it was mostly light air for a week. Never again. Now compulsive about fuel.

 

[Circumnavigator]

If you are buying fuel from a high volume supplier in the first world, then I wouldn't worry about filtration going into your tanks. Fintry holds 5,000 gallons and takes fuel at 75 gallons per minute -- filters that will keep up with that are very expensive.


That assumes that your fuel gets filtered three times on board -- from the main tanks to the day tank and then by a pair of parallel Racors coming out of the day tank and then finally on engine.



Many years ago, I wrote an article for Cruising World called "Fueling Around the World" about our fuel experiences while circumnavigating. Even if I were fueling in the third world (which I've done from 55 gallon drums, a fuel canoe, and a lot of small tanker trucks where you pay for a specific amount to fuel in advance) I wouldn't worry too much about the fuel going into the main tanks. It's much easier and more logical to do your filtration on board rather than trying to do a fourth stage of filtration above deck where spills cause trouble. If you expect to be fueling often in places where the fuel is suspect, I'd think hard about adding a second, higher, drawpipe. Fintry, being ex-Royal Navy, has a high and low draw on every bottom tank.


Jim