- Oct 4, 2006
- 2,335
- Boat Info
- 2003 280DA and 1995 Sea Ray 175
- Engines
- Twin 4.3l and 3.0l, all w/ AlphaI GenII drives
Just out of curiosity...anyone have a problem with dropping in 10 gallons of gasoline at a time (from a red jerry can) if you keep your boat behind your house in calm water? I'm sure that some states have regulations that forbid this - but I'm gauging "outrage" here, not the legality of it. Let's assume for a moment that you put the gas in the right hole, you do all the proper "blower" protocol and you don't start the boat until a couple of days later.
disclaimer: I do not have a waterfront house and do not fuel my boat anywhere but at a sanctioned fuel dock.
Ok, so I was staying out of this since it involved personal gas cans at a marina. But since you asked about doing this from your waterfront home, well now I'm on topic...
My boat sits on a lift in the back of my house. From my driveway to my boat is about 500 feet. But I'm a cheapskate, and the exercise doesn't hurt. So I lug four 5-gallon gas cans (in two trips) down to the boat per day until it's full. I lower the boat on the lift until the piling nearest the fuel fill is above it. Then I place the can on top and use two siphon hoses (those kinds with the check valve in the bottom) in the tank to quickly siphon the fuel into the tank.
Yes, it is a bit of work and time to do so. And yes I'm very cognizant of the environment and my property and the potential hazards involved. I've never had an issue with fuel spillage, and have installed a whistler in my vent line to tell me when my tank is nearing full. I also think some of you are dramatizing the hazards of filling a boat with your own cans, versus a farm tractor, lawn mower, car, etc. Follow the protocols for each and it is safe.
I figure that last year I saved approximately $300 in fuel costs in the 38 hours I used the boat. That may not seem like a lot to some of you, but that's allowed me to spend $300 on other things. If it weren't for my frugality, I probably would be unable to own the beautiful boat I do!
Tom