[C38] Are diesel engines significantly more fuel efficient thangas?

Thu Jun 9 09:14:22 EDT 2011

I have a suggestion regarding carrying extra fuel.

We used an outboard tank for reserve fuel.  On the Renata, we had a "T" installed with an outboard quick release fuel fitting on the fuel line at the fuel tank under the quarter berth.  When we connected this hose to an outboard fuel tank, it provided us an additional six gallons of fresh fuel and it also kept the primary fuel tank topped off.

To use this system, place the outboard tank on the cabin floor next to the ladder and connect the fuel fitting with a paper towel under the quick release fitting on the tank.  This keeps any possible spill from the connection to a drop or two at most because there is no gravity pressure from that floor location.

Lift the tank to the a leeward seat in the cockpit, prime the bulb, and the remote tank will then gravity feed the boat fuel system with absolutely no spillage.  The remote tank sitting on the cockpit seat will still be lower than the fuel vent on the stern so there is no chance of spillage.

If you also carry extra fuel in standard plastic gas cans, you can more easily top off the outboard remote tank in the cockpit than trying to play Spiderman hanging over the stern rail spilling fuel everywhere and possibly losing the boat fuel cap or getting water in the filler.  That scenario would probably only happen on a stormy rainy night.  Murphy's law but Murphy loves long cruises.

I have topped off our tanks underway and not wakened the crew sleeping in the quarter berth. I had a small notch ground into the quarter berth bottom board so we could leave the fuel hose attached under the bunk and coiled the hose under the ladder until needed.

If you connect this remote system to the fuel line between the lift pump and fuel filters, you won't be able to top off the main tank without some other modifications but it would give you an alternative fuel source if your main tank became contaminated.  This would gravity feed the engine without going through the lift pump. You could have two fittings on the fuel tank, one between the tank and lift pump and another between the lift pump and filters to cover either contingency.

I have had an auxiliary outboard type extra fuel system on every boat I have had, power or sail, for the last 45 years.  The system is cheap and easy to install, gives an extra 6 gal. of fuel without much bother, and gives an alternative fresh fuel source.  I could top off the boat tank underway single handed in only seconds to connect, prime, lift the tank to the cockpit, and then back on the helm letting gravity do all of the fill work.

When the main tank is topped off, the flow just stops with no spills!

If you use this system every time you park your boat after a use, your main tank will stay completely filled making condensation no longer a problem.

In the 17 years that we owned Renata, we had the boat at a fuel dock exactly once.  We came in during the night at Key West on a busy weekend and we were requested to tie up to the gas dock until a berth for us would be available.  We were tied next to a gas pump so it was irresistible not to top off.  Every other time, we would let the outboard tank top off our boat after a trip as we did everything else preparing to leave after using the boat.

By the way, diesel fuel is also cheaper on land than at marinas, not that it matters much with our little, fuel efficient diesels.  I did think it was dumb to take a boat to the marina gas dock to top off when you could just carry the fuel to the boat and not leave your slip.  That inconvenience of moving the boat is why almost no one tops off and probably the number one reason why boaters have fuel contamination problems.

Any comments welcomed.

Tom Troncalli
Ex owner and memory curator of hull #95 Renata

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jeffry Matzdorff 
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Sent: 6/9/2011 7:27:36 AM 
Subject: Re: [C38] Are diesel engines significantly more fuel efficient thangas?

Thanks everyone for your input! 

I will be delivering a Catalina 38 home from Hawaii to Seattle after TransPac this summer,  and wanted to confirm my thoughts on fuel I will carry aboard for the trip.

Cheers!

PS- Catalina 38 is a great boat!

Captain Jeffry Matzdorff
323.855.0191
www.offshoredeliveryskipper.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marci Brown 
To: 'Catalina 38 Listserve' 
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 3:02 PM
Subject: [C38] Are diesel engines significantly more fuel efficient than gas?

While our fuel tank sending unit is currently nonfunctional, I can vouch for this based on Dick's stats and Check's In The Mail's recent travails when motoring.

Marci J. Brown
PO Box 520549, Winthrop, MA 02152 USA
Ph: 757-502-7422 | Email: mb at seafor.us

From: Dick Kilroy [mailto:dickkilroy at comcast.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 5:43 PM
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Subject: Re: [C38] Catalina 38 Universal fuel Consumption

Jeffrey: About .33 per hour @ 1800RPM and 5.5 kts in flat water.

Dick
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jeffry Matzdorff 
To: Catalina 38 Listserve 
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 10:27 AM
Subject: [C38] Catalina 38 Universal fuel Consumption

Aloha,

I was hoping someone could give me an idea of the fuel consumption at various RPMS for the Universal 24 hp engine.

Also, associated speeds at the various RPMs in flat water.

Cheers,

Jeffry Matzdorff

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