Fuel Management

[PonusNick]

I finally took delivery of my Albin 27 on Saturday...the weather was mostly cooperative for the 30 mile trip to our home harbor...just a mild chop.

Both fuel tanks were about half full when we started. The former owner always had her set up to draw from one and return to the other and would switch it as needed.

About three hours into our trip the PORT tank (drawing) had sunk to about 1/8 full while the STARBOARD tank (return) had risen to about 7/8 full. I was happy with the consumption, but did not want to run the PORT tank dry...so we pulled into a cove and I reversed the DRAW / RETURN set up.

My question is...can I run the boat (78 HP YANMAR) drawing and returning to BOTH TANKS (all valves open) to eliminate the need to reset after a few hours?

[eseyoung]

I see no reason that wouldn't work.

If it were mine i wouldn't have valved it off in the first place. In a boat of this size i just don't see the benefit...you ain't crossing the Atlantic or fueling from some remote outpost where fuel is of questionable quality.

Returning it to the opposite tank could cause an overflow if you aren't paying attention. Since the boats only weigh 8500#ish does a full tank on one side and an empty one make her list to one side?

Not that either of those are insurmountable issues but i am not sure what you'd gain by eating out of only one at at a time.

[PonusNick]

Thanks for the reply...your comments echo those from the dock hounds at our club...when the tanks level off I will open up all the valves.

By the way...when one tank was at 1/8 and the other was at 7/8...with 4 men on board...she still tracked straight and true.

I was more worried about running the one tank to empty than the potential spill over...thanks for enlightening me.

[whwells]

Personally I would favor drawing down both tanks at the same time. ALA you have a dependable gauge you keep the fuel fresh and moving.
whwells "Howard"

[JT48348]

What is a dry stack? And a keel cooler with relation to a Beta

Does that mean closed cooling system no raw water?

[eseyoung]

correct. a dry stack is basically an exhaust run (usually vertically) much like a truck, i have seen a few that go out the transom or and even out the side...no raw water is used. the catch is that it must be insulated and you have to have the room to route it safely.

the keel cooler is basically a radiator that is plumbed into the fresh side of the engine but lives on the keel or somewhere under the boat. the entire system is then filled with antifreeze...so the engine has NO sea water in it, anywhere, thus eliminating the need for a heatex and raw water pump. I have seen keel coolers that are really simple, copper tubing run along the keel or can be a they can be more complicated....like a purpose built radiator.

[PonusNick]

My first post on fuel management (see the trail) was from November of 2015. Through the 2015 and 2016 seasons I ran the boat drawing and returning from/to both tanks and she never let me down. But at haul out last December she refused to hold WOT. She cruised nicely at about 2500 RPM but pushed beyond that (WOT is 3400) she would rev-up then bog back down to 2500. Same thing at launch three weeks back...just would not rev past 2500.
It also seemed to be drawing only from the PORT tank...so I shut off the port feed. Now, running only on the starboard tank...she revs and responds like a dream.
Some thoughts please? Could the port tank line be restricted? Could the port fuel be contaminated?

[Beta Don]

Have you been using a biocide in your fuel tanks? If not, it's entirely possible that you have one of the tanks partly full of 'crud' which could be stopping up the lines or filters

http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp-countr ... -boats.pdf

Don

[coolchange]

also check the vent lines for mud...comes from bugs nesting in the vent and blocking any chance of air coming into the tank and shortly no fuel can flow out either

[tego]

Nick, You could also have a deteriorated fuel line from the port tank. When they go bad, you'll never see it on the outside. Pull that port feed line off and check and if bad, replace all of them. Ben

[Beta Don]

It's a good idea to change every rubber hose and fuel line on the boat at least every 15 years or so, no matter how 'good' they look on the outside

If you even suspect that you have any rubber parts on the boat which are still factory, they should be changed before the next cruise. It would be unusual to have any that old which are still serviceable, no matter how or where the boat has been stored. All these boats are well over 30 years old now

Don