Diesel fuel spill

spikedaddy99

Well-Known Member
GOLD Sponsor
Jun 11, 2008
2,579
Prentice, Wi
Boat Info
2005 500 DB
Engines
QSM-11
We had a new boat (45ish foot Regal) show up at our Marina Friday night. Apparently the port side fuel sensor wasn't installed properly and the guy was dumping fuel overboard on his trip up from Illinois. Fuel dumped into bilge, then pumped overboard. It is estimated 30+ gallons were pumped overboard in our marina alone. It wasn't discovered until Sat morning when everyone woke up to the slick. Coast Guard called, Bay Marine mechanics showed up (they sold the boat to the new owner) and Wi DNR was called. We had guys walking around with bottles of Dawn to spray the diesel. DNR stopped that immediately and said allow the sun to hit the fuel and it will evaporate. Spraying with Dawn actually clumps the fuel and sinks it, thus getting into the lake floor and is worse for the lake. What a mess. My PSA for the day.
 
New boat or not, how could they not smell all that diesel leaking before pulling into the marina?

wow!
 
In Washington there are signs at all fuel docks not to use detergent if you spill fuel and large fine if it is used.
 
Interesting - I probably would have been squirting Dawn on it, too! Thanks for the info! That's my one "learn something new everyday" for today, so I can go play, now! :)

GFC... the gurgle is the way to go, but as you already know it's sometimes hard to hear it. The previous owner of my old Grady installed one of those "whistlers" and that is VERY easy to hear! In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone walking around the dock can hear it based on the perplexed looks on their faces... Remember those little, plastic whistling tubes you had as a kid? They were about 3" long? It's basically that and gets spliced right into the vent line. When the whistling stops, you stop. It's actually pretty ingenious.
 
Dennis
I Have been thinking of adding one, is this it

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=848503
Interesting - I probably would have been squirting Dawn on it, too! Thanks for the info! That's my one "learn something new everyday" for today, so I can go play, now! :)

GFC... the gurgle is the way to go, but as you already know it's sometimes hard to hear it. The previous owner of my old Grady installed one of those "whistlers" and that is VERY easy to hear! In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone walking around the dock can hear it based on the perplexed looks on their faces... Remember those little, plastic whistling tubes you had as a kid? They were about 3" long? It's basically that and gets spliced right into the vent line. When the whistling stops, you stop. It's actually pretty ingenious.
 
That's crazy, we had a gas 19' SeaHawk do the same thing yesterday morning. With the same problem. Unfortunately for this owner he had gone out and ran aground. He tore the shaft right out of the coupler. Another towed him in with all the bilge pumps flowing fuel and water.

We got him out and on the trailer before the boat sank then contained the spill on land. FD folks showed up and did their bit. It was a crazy weekend for boaters. I stayed right in my slip
 
I used to do the Dawn thing until I learned about it actually making it worse.
 
I have the whistlers on both gas tank vents. I like them. Haven't spilled once since getting them. I think they're only for gasoline, though.
 
I used to get small drips out of the vent while fueling on the port side only and always had to suction cup the fuel saver plastic bottle to that side vent. This also meant the port side would have to be on the dock every time. I did two things to remedy this, 1st I straightened out the fuel line in the E.R. it had a couple of sags in it. 2nd I have a leaf blower I use on the boat after washing to get the excess water off and I used it to blow any fuel in the vent line back into the tank.
 
I have the whistlers on both gas tank vents. I like them. Haven't spilled once since getting them. I think they're only for gasoline, though.

Defender website says impervious to diesel, gas and fuel additives...so should be good to go for all boats.
 
I have the whistlers on both gas tank vents. I like them. Haven't spilled once since getting them. I think they're only for gasoline, though.

I had one on the basement oil tank when I had oil heat in the house, so there shouldn’t be an issue using it on a boat with diesel fuel.
 

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