How To Refuel Your Boat
Refueling a boat is vastly different from filling up a car tank, and requires more than just pulling up to a gas dock. Seasoned boaters have been known to make costly mistakes like mistaking the water or waste valve for the gas tank. Since the price of boat fuel is usually on the rise, we at L&M Marine LLC want to ensure that you know the proper way to refuel your boat. This will help you avoid expensive blunders in the long run. For all your boating needs, visit us at our location in Stapelton, AL. If you’re looking for boats for sale near Mobile or Pensacola, get in touch with us now!
Staying Safe
There are many cracks and crevices on boats where spilled gas and vapors tend to collect. Since this can lead to an explosion you have to be very careful while refueling. After you reach the fuel dock, ask all passengers to disembark and turn off all electrical equipment. See if there’s any wear and tears or cracks in the hose lines, engine fitting and strainers. Salt water is corrosive and can damage your boat’s components. Keep all doors, windows and hatches shut while you refuel so the gas fumes can’t get in. Don’t smoke while refueling.
Fuel Type
When you get to the boat gas station, the first thing you’ll be asked is: gas or diesel? According to several marina managers, people are often so used to fueling their other vehicles that many of them end up using the wrong type of gas for their boats. Ensure you don’t end up saying ‘gas up’ if you want diesel fuel and vice versa. When an attendant at the gas dock passes you the nozzle, check to see you’re getting the fuel you need. This simple step can save you needless heartache and expenditure.
Tank Size
Fuel gauges on boats are less accurate because boat tanks are usually irregular in shape. To add to that, fuel gauges are some of the first things that break down. It’s best to know how large your tank is rather than just rely only on the gauge. When they’re close to full, tanks make a sound, so familiarize yourself with that sound to reduce the chance of spillage. This way you won't have to spend time helping deckhands clean the mess. If you’re unsure about tank size or the boat gas station is too noisy to hear anything, simply don’t top off.
Tackling Spills
Hopefully, you’ll manage to avoid spilling any fuel at the gas dock. If it does happen, use a fuel-absorbent pad and clean up as much of the spill as possible. If you’ve heard the rumor that dish soap gets rid of spilled fuel, put it out of your head. Dish soap will remove the fuel stain, but it’ll also make the spill so dense that it sinks to the bottom and sits for decades, causing harm to the ecosystem. If you’ve spilled fuel, simply help the fuel dock deckhands clean up as much as you can and then let the sun evaporate the rest.
Final Steps
Your boat is refueled and you’re dying to get back on the open water, but you should do a few more things. First, make sure there are no vapors and fumes in your boat. Turn on the boat blower for five minutes and open all doors, windows and hatches to air it out. Lift the engine hatch and check if you smell any fumes. If you do, find out where they’re coming from and fix it. Ensure there’s no fuel in the bilge. Now your passengers can climb back on board and you can pull out of the boat gas station, carefully avoiding other boats nearby.
We hope these tips help you become a better boater. If you’d like to pick up more tips about the boating life or if you want to purchase a boat, visit us at L&M Marine LLC in Stapleton, AL. We welcome all our patrons from Mobile or Pensacola to check out our inventory of boats for sale.