I have some diesel oil in my bilge (where the keel bolts are) and I cannot figure where it is coming from. I do not have any traces under the sole between the bilge and the engine spaces, I have an absorbant thing (technical term) in the engine space and while there might be a sheen of diesel there, it certainly is not the volume that ultimately ends up in the bilge. If I probe around in the holes between the three bilge spaces, there appears to be some other hoses that end just inside these holes. Do they connect ot some other parts of the bilges (further aft around the fuel tank???) that may be the source. The boat is reletively new to me and was mistreated to include being partially sunk in the past and I am worried that this may be as a result of some traped fuel from a prior instance Any help is appreciated... Chuck S/V Following Sea
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Tom La Roche
Been there, done that
A long while back, I was foolish enough to leave an unsecured diesel fuel can aboard my 1980 Hunter 27. After a tugboat passed close by, I found ten gallons of diesel sitting down in my bilges. After pumping everything out, I thought I had completed the nasty cleanup process. However, a few days later, I had fuel down in the bilges once again. The dividers between the various sections of the bilges can hide a whole lot of liquid. I finally flushed those hidden areas out, and then painstakingly drained them dry using a turkey baster.
A long while back, I was foolish enough to leave an unsecured diesel fuel can aboard my 1980 Hunter 27. After a tugboat passed close by, I found ten gallons of diesel sitting down in my bilges. After pumping everything out, I thought I had completed the nasty cleanup process. However, a few days later, I had fuel down in the bilges once again. The dividers between the various sections of the bilges can hide a whole lot of liquid. I finally flushed those hidden areas out, and then painstakingly drained them dry using a turkey baster.
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Jay Kent
I had that type of problem with water
that seemed to reappear out of nowhere! Fuel was not a problem. I bought a small (1 hp) wet/dry vac and used just the hose (no tip) and found quite a lot of water in the hidden area below the bilge!! I was shocked to discover all of this water, but the one gallon bucket actually had to be dumped numerous times to get all the water out. I have no idea what the capacity is!! Now, each time we leave the boat for the week, we vacuum the sole, etc. and always run the hose down the holes "just to be sure". Also, I have thought about the number of winters that may have passed with water in the hidden space....apparently, no damages.
that seemed to reappear out of nowhere! Fuel was not a problem. I bought a small (1 hp) wet/dry vac and used just the hose (no tip) and found quite a lot of water in the hidden area below the bilge!! I was shocked to discover all of this water, but the one gallon bucket actually had to be dumped numerous times to get all the water out. I have no idea what the capacity is!! Now, each time we leave the boat for the week, we vacuum the sole, etc. and always run the hose down the holes "just to be sure". Also, I have thought about the number of winters that may have passed with water in the hidden space....apparently, no damages.
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Bill Edmundson
Bilge Oil
I had the same problem when I overfilled the fuel tank. I don't know if it overflowed a vent or what. With no fuel gage or site glass it will be hard to not repeat. Fortunately, it is a long time between having to worry about it.
I had the same problem when I overfilled the fuel tank. I don't know if it overflowed a vent or what. With no fuel gage or site glass it will be hard to not repeat. Fortunately, it is a long time between having to worry about it.
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Harry Asbury
Where it might come from
First - where is the oil coming from? It may be a leak from the fuel tank, the gasket on the fuel level sending unit, vent line, filler hose or fuel lines (engine feed line or return line) fittings at the tank. The filler hose takes some very nasty turns from the deck fitting to the top of the fuel tank. All of these fittings are behind the bulkhead in the engine compartment and are unseen unless you get a strong light and mirror and check each one for leaks by going in through the side inspection plates. The starboard side is the best one to use as you can inspect the filler hose from the deck fitting to the tank, watch out for the wires to the control panel as you can pull a wire lose. Any one of these may cause a small amount of fuel to drip down to the bilge and run under the pan (unseen) and inbetween the stringers. Second - I drilled a several small holes, 1/8" at the 4 and 8 o'clock positions in the fiberglass stringers next to the PVC bilge through pipes on both sides. An amazing amount of water came out for several days. But once it all drained out my bildges have been bone dry for the last 2 seasons. So much so that I now have spider webs in my bildges!
First - where is the oil coming from? It may be a leak from the fuel tank, the gasket on the fuel level sending unit, vent line, filler hose or fuel lines (engine feed line or return line) fittings at the tank. The filler hose takes some very nasty turns from the deck fitting to the top of the fuel tank. All of these fittings are behind the bulkhead in the engine compartment and are unseen unless you get a strong light and mirror and check each one for leaks by going in through the side inspection plates. The starboard side is the best one to use as you can inspect the filler hose from the deck fitting to the tank, watch out for the wires to the control panel as you can pull a wire lose. Any one of these may cause a small amount of fuel to drip down to the bilge and run under the pan (unseen) and inbetween the stringers. Second - I drilled a several small holes, 1/8" at the 4 and 8 o'clock positions in the fiberglass stringers next to the PVC bilge through pipes on both sides. An amazing amount of water came out for several days. But once it all drained out my bildges have been bone dry for the last 2 seasons. So much so that I now have spider webs in my bildges!
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Chuck Petty
Thanks for the response...
As Bill stated, overfilling may be the source... I am pretty sure that I did the same at the beginning of the season.... As Harry suggested, I am going to go over the filler and vent lines... I know how tight the starbord side is... Ihave been down there on several occasions... Harry, you also may have answered my original question... How it is getting there... The fiberglass stringers between the bilges (and the holes between) are what I am concerned about. I will look further at them and probably drill the holes as you stated. Took a short sail this weekend. Completely cleaned out the bilge before and checked after and there was no additional oil at the end of the day. If I find anything further, I will post it Chuck Fair winds (from the S/V Following Sea)
As Bill stated, overfilling may be the source... I am pretty sure that I did the same at the beginning of the season.... As Harry suggested, I am going to go over the filler and vent lines... I know how tight the starbord side is... Ihave been down there on several occasions... Harry, you also may have answered my original question... How it is getting there... The fiberglass stringers between the bilges (and the holes between) are what I am concerned about. I will look further at them and probably drill the holes as you stated. Took a short sail this weekend. Completely cleaned out the bilge before and checked after and there was no additional oil at the end of the day. If I find anything further, I will post it Chuck Fair winds (from the S/V Following Sea)
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