Finally, after a years wait.....

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B

Bob16841

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Jan 12, 2006
48
Catalina 25 All Over, USA
Ad??

Jim P is exactly right, this is an ad and has absolutely no business on our forum. Alan's contributions, which are just like everybody else's contributions, are irrelevant. An exception here, means an exception to everybody. That's one reason we come here...NO ADS!!
 
Honeyman

Honeyman

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Jan 2, 2005
779
Hunter 35.5 Legend Lake Travis-Austin,TX
BOB, ABE, and JIM P...

guess what, you guys are outnumbered!!! This is as much a "recommendation" and "information" as anything. Did you know something like this used to exist? Did you know that MANY people have wanted to bring another device such as this to market for many years? Do you have any concept of what these things can do to keep a lot of idiots from overfilling their tanks and polluting YOUR home waters? Lighten up a bit, this is "our" site too, but ultimately it's Phil's!!!
 
Alan

Alan

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Jun 2, 2004
4,174
Hunter 35.5 LI, NY
Maybe I can help clear up some of this.

I have been a member of a local environmental group for many years. As a sailor, I have been very aware of the needless spilling of fuel. I've used my Fuel Whistle for a dozen years and never spilled a drop of fuel. Many of my friends have tried encouraging me to mass produce them for everyone. I already have a business and thought that this is what I should concentrate on. After doing my homework, I discovered just how much time and money would be involved to get such a project to fly. I decided to take the gamble and invest tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours with no real way to know if it would work. Now, a year and a half later, the Fuel Whistles are ready. I have heard from countless boaters and sailors about the dilemma that we all face with this totally preventable problem. The combined fuel spill due to over fill in the US amounts to 11/2 Exxon Valdez disasters each year. By bringing the Fuel Whistle to our sport, I hope to be able to contribute to cleaning up the waters we all use. The discussion of these whistles has been on this forum for a couple of years, and I'm hoping by generating discussions like this one, I can encourage everyone to think about ways to help save or environment. Practical Sailor and Boat/US Clean Water Foundations are both evaluating the Fuel Whistle and I hope to have their results soon.
 
Ferg

Ferg

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Mar 6, 2006
115
Catalina 27 C27 @Thunder Bay ON Ca.
Gotta Back Alan ....

.... this is a much needed gizmo. Just because Alan markets it, don't mean he can't spread the word. You pay for fuel going down the hose regardless of where it ends up. Best of luck Alan! Later, eh! Ferg
 
E

ed

Darn a new forum to present my inventions

Ive got about 20 products out there trying to get some attention. So now i can use this forum to present them to the sailing public? Wow this internet stuff is going to save me a lot of advertising now!
 
T

Tom H

I vote YES

A few short years aog I was visiting a marina to fill up with diesel. They insisted on manning the pump, which was OK by me. The stuff gushed out of the fill hole, went over the deck, into the drain holes and into the river. Who was watching? Just happened to be a EPA ship in to refuel too. Guess who got fined? The Marina did, to the tune of a few thousand bucks. So if this fuel whistle works, I vote that he has the right, no, obligation, to present it to us on of all things, a BOAT forum page. How many hundreds of comments tell us to use this product or that one anyway on this forum? Good luck with the product Alan.
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
If I were the owner of this site...

I would move this thread to here: http://www.sailboatowners.com/gear/index.tpl?fno=400 However, Commercial advertisers are prohibited at that location. Why is it permitted in this forum? I'm happy for you Alan, but this is not the proper venue for your product. This thread didn't at first appear as an ad, but by the help of a few here, it sure has turned into one. Alan, your dissertation on how you brought this product to market didn't help. Again, I am happy for you, Congratulations.
 
B

Bob16841

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Jan 12, 2006
48
Catalina 25 All Over, USA
Thread

Alan's long and trying experience is getting his product to market is totally irrelevant, as is it's usefullness to boaters. He went through what a lot of us have gone through getting a new product marketed or a new business started. It's a product, a business, and does not belong here. I should probably start a new thread, however, since we are giving Alan a pass, I'll make my post here. My wife and I are going to start RVing in addition to sailing. As a result of some vehicle changes, I have an immaculate 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, totally loaded, 12,000 miles, I must sacrifice. Anybody interested, let me know. Maybe selling stuff here is a good idea!!
 
NautiDuck

NautiDuck

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Jun 3, 2004
730
Catalina 250 Wing Keel Eugene, OR
Wrong forum

Bob, please place your Silverado ad on a pickup truck forum. This is a sailboat forum.
 
Ross

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
That is a very clever idea

but it won't work on my boat because on filling the tank vents the displaced air through the filler pipe. Then the tank is sealed and vented through the normal vent. But filling the tank won't drive air out the vent.
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
That pickup truck...

Can be used to trailer a boat. So, therefore, it should stay. It is boating related. ;)
 
C

Cap'n Ron

Great Idea, send me a sample...

Sure 'sounds' good Alan... A few years back, in Newport Beach, or maybe Oceanside, can't remember which I use to go in to all often, this kids at the fuel docks were showing off a device they had 'made' for catching fuel from an outside vent. It was a simple plastic flat bottle that had a suction cup on it that you plugged under the vent, held about a quart, and seemed to work well. I always listen to the pitch and slow it way down too, with larger power yacht it is essential to log all fuel and know your curve and an accurate ball-park of the MINIMUM that you will hold. We also place a fuel wipe below any vent and a crewman listens there, this is very serious business nowadays, aye...;-)
 
RAD

RAD

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Jun 3, 2004
2,330
Catalina 30 Bay Shore, N.Y.
Ok, so Phil should remove this post

And the people that object will be happy and maybe the folks that are on the fence about this will be happy. Then I'll post a new forum that goes like this.. Anyone got info on how to deal with filling up the tank and preventing fuel spills? and a new forum will take on a life of its own;)
 
H

Herb Parsons

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Jun 7, 2004
334
Coronado 35 Lake Grapevine, TX
I Can't Believe This Day Has Come

I'm agreeing with Honeyman, and backing Alan, all in one post. Honeyman is 100% correct, the nay-sayers are outnumbered. Phil - 1 Naysayers - Doesn'tMatterHowManyItsPhilsWebsite Alan's posted a ton of information to users, and the person who has the only vote that counts says that earned him the right to post the link. Don't like it? Pass it by. RAD - Way to think outside the box.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,330
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
OHMYGOSH

someone with a GOOD idea is getting spammed. You naysayers are being incredibly hypocritical and shortsighted. Fr'crissakes, you get a good idea and you're batting it down? How dare you!!! Learn something new for a change. Oh, maybe I missed something, sailors don't abide any changes at all. Think of it this way: the amount of responses to this thread far exceed the ones from qualitative questions about SAILING on the rest of the threads for the past eight days. I suggest that your priorities change to where it matters. Thanks, Alan, for a great product and you participation here for so long.
 
Ross

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Alan has gotten on the right track

but there are some flaws in the system. When the whistle stops how much time remains to stop the fuel flow? How fast are your reflexes? My fuel vent is 2 feet above deck in a stanchion with a 1 quart overflow tank in the vent line. So when my tank is full the only place it spills is at the filler port. That is always surrounded with absorbent material. I always fill from a can and never from a fuel dock.
 
Alan

Alan

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Jun 2, 2004
4,174
Hunter 35.5 LI, NY
Ross

Putting your vent line above the fill neck will prevent fuel coming out the vent(which makes your overflow tank redundant), but as you say it will then come out the fill neck and yes you do need quick reflexes for that. With the Fuel Whistle, you can still leave your vent line as you have it, but you will have ample time to stop fueling before the fuel rises in the fill neck which will prevent any mess on deck. The amount of time between the whistle stop and spilling fuel is dependent on the distance between the Fuel Whistle and the deck/hull vent. Typically about 5 seconds at full flow, more than enough time to stop fueling.
 
Ross

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Alan, The overflow tank allows the fuel in

pipe to drain down to where expansion of cold fuel won't cause a flood. . I have had fuel tanks in cars that whistled as they filled and the pitch changed as the tank approached full. In regard to leaving it where it was I started with a bare hull so I could put it anywhere I wanted.
 
C

Chuck

Whistle

Maybe Phil should sell it on this site, and make everybody happy. lol
 
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