Advice for a Solo Sailor?

Kings Gambit · Aug 24, 2023

jviss said:
So, anyway, I'm back in my home port, having completed the cycle. I sailed onto the mooring in Westport today! It just worked out, I hit the harbor at slack water and had 6 or 7 kt. from the South. Such a good feeling.

I anchored in Cuttyhunk. Had some serious wind Monday and Tuesday so I stayed put. Took off today and wouldn't you know it - no wind! Ha, ha. Motor sailed home, mostly motored.

Feeling good. Might take off tomorrow again, after a short trip to the grocery store. Forgot a few things....

It's a real confidence booster and mood enhancer to do something like this on one's own. It was a bit sadly sentimental, not having the ex along, but I think that will wear off after a while.

The boat's running well, sails like a dream, engine runs like a top. No complaints, except the fuel gauge is a bit of a pain. It's one of those that reads full-full until you've consumed about 10 gal. or more, then starts to move. I was so concerned I removed the sender and looked in the tank - plenty of fuel, but not full, and the float thing worked when I manipulated it manually, i.e., the gauge registered it, but I really want a more accurate gauge. Or sender, I guess.

I have a similar-type fuel tank of ca 39-40 gallons. When it reads 1/2 full it’s actually closer to 1/4 of full tank volume; i.e., about 10-12 gallons remaining. Somewhere I have this all written down. But next time you are seeing 1/2 full, fill it up & then you will know.

The tank is inclined (wedge shaped) with the greatest volume of the tank and fuel down at the forward (fat) end. That’s also where the pick-up and gauge are. You must draw down the up-tank volume b/f the gauge measures a change in fuel volume. Otherwise the fuel at the gauge is being “resupplied” from above and does not change until that volume is mostly gone. When it reads 1/2 tank, it’s reading 1/2 of “fat end” volume remaining. The gauge “doesn’t know about” the empty tank volume above it toward the tank fill so does not report 1/4 of total tank volume remaining, etc. If similar, yours is probably reading accurately as to what it “sees.”

Contrast that with my Pearson 30 which had a cylindrical tank that sat level w.r.t. horizontal. The fuel gets drawn down uniformly throughout the tank so the gauge, wherever it is, reports closer to the actual tank volume.

Hayden Watson · Aug 24, 2023

My gauge has the opposite problem. the needle moves from the first usage but when It stops moving at empty, I will only need 10-gal in my 18-gal tank leaving me with a 8-gal reserve and a nervous wife telling me to find a fuel stop.

Kings Gambit · Aug 24, 2023

Hayden Watson said:
My gauge has the opposite problem. the needle moves from the first usage but when It stops moving at empty, I will only need 10-gal in my 18-gal tank leaving me with a 8-gal reserve and a nervous wife telling me to find a fuel stop.

Sounds more like my Pearson. If I recall, the tank was not “empty” when the fuel gauge so indicated. But that reserve portion was probably only 5% of tank volume.

Johann · Aug 24, 2023

jviss said:
Interesting. Mine is pretty flat, rectangular in every respect, no wedge shape, etc. I think it's that the gauge is wrong for this tank. I think the gauge is such that the float is floating at it's max range until the tank is 3/4 full, and then it starts tracking the fuel level. I might try a different sender.

You could try measuring the resistance as you move the sender through its range and see if it changes through the entire range or had a dead band when over 3/4 full.

Hayden Watson · Aug 24, 2023

I installed this type of sensor, and it works very well. My problem was that the sensor is located about 9" from the low point. The bottom of the tank slopes so that means that the bottom of the sensor is not at the low point. In addition to that, I could only fine ones that varied in length in 2" increments. The one that I got is 2¼" from the bottom of the tanks sloped bottom which is about 2" from the lowest point due to the slope. The next size up would put the bottom only ¼" from the bottom and the instructions called for ½" minimum clearance. :facepalm:

This vendor sells units with height in 1/2" steps which would have been a lot better in my tank.

shemandr · Aug 24, 2023

Hayden Watson said:
... My problem was that the sensor is located about 9" from the low point..

So you have reserve capacity analogous to a scuba tank (I may be dating myself here).

Johann · Aug 24, 2023

Hayden Watson said:
I installed this type of sensor, and it works very well. My problem was that the sensor is located about 9" from the low point. The bottom of the tank slopes so that means that the bottom of the sensor is not at the low point. In addition to that, I could only fine ones that varied in length in 2" increments. The one that I got is 2¼" from the bottom of the tanks sloped bottom which is about 2" from the lowest point due to the slope. The next size up would put the bottom only ¼" from the bottom and the instructions called for ½" minimum clearance.
This vendor sells units with height in 1/2" steps which would have been a lot better in my tank.

You can also order direct from KUS.

SSS/SSL Sender - SAE 5 Hole Pattern Mount Level Sender | KUS Americas, Inc.

This is our SSS/SSL electric liquid level sender. It mounts with a standard SAE 5-hole pattern. It works great with our industrial and marine applications.

kus-usa.com

One thing I did was shim the sender up so that the float could get higher in the tank to measure true full. This could also help you get the bottom clearance correct.

Johann · Aug 24, 2023

jviss said:
Wow, that's a clean installation! I picked up the cushion and an access panel and the top of my tank is so dirty! I really should clean it.

I had to replace the leaking OEM aluminum tank. You don’t want to see what it looked like before

Kings Gambit · Aug 24, 2023

jviss said:
"J" valve.

My first tank was equipped with a “K” valve, which preceded the “J” valve, I believe. When the draw became difficult, you began ascent. The diminishing ambient pressure on the regulator diaphragm allowed continued drawing from the tank while surfacing slowly. That was your “reserve.” No chance accidentally tripping your “J” value arm (reserve) prematurely.

Hayden Watson · Aug 24, 2023

Johann said:
You can also order direct from KUS.

SSS/SSL Sender - SAE 5 Hole Pattern Mount Level Sender | KUS Americas, Inc.

This is our SSS/SSL electric liquid level sender. It mounts with a standard SAE 5-hole pattern. It works great with our industrial and marine applications.

kus-usa.com

One thing I did was shim the sender up so that the float could get higher in the tank to measure true full. This could also help you get the bottom clearance correct.

I do not have any complaints about how it measures at the top of the tank. I have my gauge mounted on the aft side of the cabin top.
Very handy there. The original gauge is on the engine panel which cannot be seen at all from the dock when filling.

Hayden Watson · Aug 24, 2023

jviss said:
"J" valve.

Now you are really dating us. I haven't seen one for years. Of course, back then we didn't have pressure gauges either.

Advice for a Solo Sailor?

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