Air in fuel

[vegatern]

This evening while motoring past the breakwater the engine died,
because I have allowed the tank to run low and the pickup sucked air
as the boat rolled. I have a primer bulb at the tank that I use to
bleed the lines. In the 90 seconds or so that it took for the engine
to stop I could have used the bulb to force fuel to the engine, but it
would have also pushed air into the cylinders with the fuel. Would
pumping a fuel/air mix into the running engine damaged it? Another
100 yards and I would have been in flat water.
Craig Tern #1519

 

[bobnlesafloat]

Not over the time it takes to do a couple of hundred yards. There's was probably a far greater likelyhood of your damaging the boat due to drifting onto the breakwater with a dead engine.

 

[vegatern]

Thanks. Someone once told me, or maybe I read it, to never leave the
mooring under power with the sailcover on. It was good advice.
Craig