I have a 1985 Hunter 31 boat. Is there a fuel gauge anywhere on the tank or somewhere? I never know how much fuel I have left in my tank. Also, is there an emergency tiller that should be on this boat?
Fuel Tank Gauge
- Thread starter Power747
- Start date
Unless you have a generator or diesel heater the easiest way to predict fuel intake is just to keep a log of engine hours and gallons taken. After a couple fill ups you’ll see what your typical burn rate is pretty accurately. I can usually predict how much fuel I’ll need within a gallon that way. When I’m fueling up I slow down a gallon short of my prediction and start listening for a different sound from the vent. I have a VDO fuel gauge but it’s not nearly as useful for predicting how much will be needed.
Unlikely there's a fuel gauge. If you have your original fuel tank, your capacity is 18 gallons (per Sailboatdata.com). You need to fill then track hours and burn rate. The other challenge is that there's probably not a Hobbs (hours meter) on the engine either. At least that's been my experience with Hunters of that vintage when I was shopping for mine.
I added an hours meter and keep a log. My Yanmar 3GM burns at ~ 0.8 g/hr. So some simple math tells me how much fuel I SHOULD have on board. You can google the expected burn rate for your specific engine.
This is my first season with the boat and I have a 22 gallon tank. Will take a while before I need to refill. When I start getting into the uncomfortable zone, I'll fill up and check my expected fill vs actual gallons taken on.
I added an hours meter and keep a log. My Yanmar 3GM burns at ~ 0.8 g/hr. So some simple math tells me how much fuel I SHOULD have on board. You can google the expected burn rate for your specific engine.
This is my first season with the boat and I have a 22 gallon tank. Will take a while before I need to refill. When I start getting into the uncomfortable zone, I'll fill up and check my expected fill vs actual gallons taken on.
Yes, there should be a tiller arm.
Is there some reason you didn’t look at the top of the tank to see if the gauge is there?
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,975
Welcome Back with your query.
Sounds like you have a "New to you" Hunter 31 now. Congrats.
Fuel gauges are mere indicators that there is some fuel in the tank. No sailor worth his salt would trust a fuel gauge. As mentioned by @Davidasailor26 and @Belzoni, you need to keep a log of your fuel consumption. It is a very easy task. A Hobbes meter (or clock tracking engine run time) is a handy tool to help you with the log. They are cheap and easy to wire.
Here is one from a quick online search.
Nothing fancy. Hook it onto the red wire to your engine start system to provide power to the clock when you turn on the engine.
Sounds like you have a "New to you" Hunter 31 now. Congrats.
Fuel gauges are mere indicators that there is some fuel in the tank. No sailor worth his salt would trust a fuel gauge. As mentioned by @Davidasailor26 and @Belzoni, you need to keep a log of your fuel consumption. It is a very easy task. A Hobbes meter (or clock tracking engine run time) is a handy tool to help you with the log. They are cheap and easy to wire.
Here is one from a quick online search.
Nothing fancy. Hook it onto the red wire to your engine start system to provide power to the clock when you turn on the engine.