Mayday mayday!

C

CalGirlBoater

.
Jul 2, 2018
12
Erickson 25+ Marina Del Rey
Hi everybody! I just bought my first boat last month, a 1979 Erickson 25+ with an Volvo Penta MD5A INBOARD DIESEL engine and loving it. Last night around 10pm PST, I ran out of water and accidentally filled up the engine tank. Oh nooooo! After reading some helpful posts on here (thanks for sharing them!), looks like I may have to siphon out the water from fuel tank. I'm on a very tight budget and looking for ways not to spend on unnecessary expenses.

Last month, the marine surveyor said my engine has some corrosion and thankfully, my boat passed the out-of-water survey. I'm happy about that. Wooooo!

I would deeply appreciate it if you guys have any advice on low-cost yet effective solutions for my situation: a water-filled Diesel engine?? Thanks in advance!!
 
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dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,985
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Ouch! :(

Rest assured you are not the first person to do this. And it is much better to put water in the diesel tank than the other way around. And much better than putting diesel into the holding tank.

The water will sink to the bottom of the tank which is where the pick up tube for the fuel system is located. You may be able to just drain the water in to a jug if the tank is high enough. Another option is to use a primer bulb for an outboard motor and some fuel line (like this one: https://www.fisheriessupply.com/moeller-marine-primer-bulb). Make a siphon from the primer bulb and some fuel line. Since this is only a temporary line, you don't need to buy expensive CG approved fuel line, just get some from an auto parts store. Disconnect the fuel line at the tank connect the fuel line to the tank and then pump the primer bulb until you get water/fuel flowing in to a plastic jug. Keep doing this until the you get just diesel, the diesel should be red.

Change the fuel filter and have a couple of spare filters. Did you run the engine and suck water into it?

Good luck!
 
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Paul M.

Paul M.

.
Jul 15, 2016
4
Gemini 105 MC Manteo, NC
CalGirlBoater said:
Hi everybody! I just bought my first boat last month, a 1979 Erickson 25+ with an Volvo Penta MD5A INBOARD DIESEL engine and loving it. Last night around 10pm PST, I ran out of water and accidentally filled up the engine tank. Oh nooooo! After reading some helpful posts on here (thanks for sharing them!), looks like I may have to siphon out the water from fuel tank. I'm on a very tight budget and looking for ways not to spend on unnecessary expenses.
Click to expand
Fortunately the 2 will separate. Hopefully you've not cranked the engine and sucked a bunch of water into your injectors. Sooo--what I would do is head down to the auto parts store and buy a 12v fuel pump and several feet of clear tubing and hose adaptors that will allow you to set up an auxiliary pump. Mount it to a board and wire up some jumpers to connect to a 12 v battery. OH--did I mention you'll need some jerry cans? You'll need to push the clear tubing down to the bottom of the fuel tank and begin pumping. Observe the color--and hopefully you have fuel that's been dyed red so you can see it. You should be able to remove most of the water. Obviously it goes without saying that you'll dispose of the fuel/water mixture responsibly...

Follow up with some good fuel stabilizer to prevent algae growth, and drain your fuel filter/water separator bowl at frequent intervals. If you don't have one with a clear bowl, now's a good time to add one.

Good luck!
Paul
 
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jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,179
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Welcome @CalGirlBoater to the forum. Congrats on the new to you boat. You have a lot of fun and probably a few more OOOopps ahead.

First... Mayday.. is reserved for life threatening events.

Help... would be a better choice in this circumstance. There is that old story about "crying wolf and the when the wolf actually shows up no one is listening..."
As @dlochner Dave suggest that is a low cost way of getting water out of the fuel tank.... Questions....
  1. How much water are we talking about?
  2. Did you have fuel in the tank?
  3. Are you wanting to save that fuel?
  4. What type of filters do you have in the fuel line?
  5. Is this stuff totally foreign to you or are you one of those girls that can change a tire on her car and knows where the oil goes?
The powered option suggested by @Paul M. is another good method. Has some cost. Along the same path, do you know which engine you have? Have you checked the lines from the fuel tank to the first fuel filter, is there a pump in the line on your Erickson?
I know a lot of questions, but you did say you are on a TIGHT budget. Answers to these questions may help us save you money.

Hope to hear back from you about solving you problem and that you are enjoying sailing that pretty new to you boat.
 
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MrBill_FLL

MrBill_FLL

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May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
fwiw,
most marine fuel tanks have the fuel pickup slightly off the bottom, to avoid the sludge that tends to build up in a boat over time.

car tanks pull from the bottom, most marine tanks have a tube from the top, or have a lip on the bottom.

you'll need a water fuel filter maybe 2.
 
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shemandr

shemandr

.
Jan 1, 2006
7,601
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I did this last year and I think I posted about it.
I used the fuel tank vent, which was easier to access than any other route, and snaked a hand pump tube down to the bottom of the tank and pumped. As dlochner said, the water will be on the bottom and well separated from the fuel. I only put in a gallon or two of water. So it took less than two of hand pump volumes. That means I needed a jerry jug to decant the water/fuel into and to transport it to disposal. I could tell very quickly when the water changed to fuel. You may need to move the siphon hose around a bit. The rest will be taken out by the fuel filter water separator. Make sure that is drained or replaced before starting. Here is what I used:
https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|2285701|2349116&id=2034766
It was a pain but not really that hard. There are services that will come and pump your tank dry, filter the fuel and put clean fuel back in the tank.
 
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Johnb

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,461
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
You don't say whether you have run the engine since getting water in the tank and I sure hope not, because then you don't have a water filled diesel engine, just a water filled tank, in which case the advice above is good.
 
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Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
When I cleaned the tank in the Endeavour I ordered a pump similar to this...

https://www.jegs.com/i/Autobest/035/12D/10002/-1

.. to pump the fuel out. Auto parts stores will have something similar. Mounted it on a board with a switch. I also have two filters on the board so in the future I can polish the fuel with it.

I pumped the fuel into plastic 5 gallon buckets with the snap-on lids from Home Depot. They aren't expensive.

Had to pay a guy to take the fuel. Check where you have the boat to see if someone comes in and cleans tanks. Either have them do it or see if they will dispose of the fuel you pump out. Might be a good time to just remove all the fuel and clean the tank. Most have a large inspection plate on top that you can remove to pump the fuel out and to clean the tank out. Ours is down in the bilge so no bottom drain.

Good luck,

Sumner
==============================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 
Last edited:
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Jackdaw

Jackdaw

.
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
LOL looks like the nice-nannies are in edit mode again.
 
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Jackdaw

Jackdaw

.
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
dlochner said:
Yep. Glad you spoke up. If I ever meet your fiancé' I'll remember to be very polite.
Click to expand
Trust me, you don't need to be polite. ;^) Just not demeaning.
 
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odaydokay

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Jul 5, 2011
747
Oday 28 Madison, CT
I wonder if he might want to do a rinse stage to get the last bit of water out. I'm thinking a couple quarts of low test gasoline which is an excellent solvent. Use the boat's fuel pump to pump it into a container. Just an idea.....
 
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jviss

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I think you can siphon most of the water, and let your water separator/filter get the rest. I don't think it's such a big deal, as long as the engine wasn't run with it.
 
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M

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,031
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
paint your fuel tank filler bright red (may be with a luminous trim ring if you'll be filling fill these things up in the dark any more ..) the first time i ever filled the water tank in the new - to - me seafarer 30 i bought , i neglected to notice that the seller had never connected the deck water inlet filler to any hose to the water tank. so the water runs into the cabin then the bilge. 20 gallons is a LOT of water for a bilge...
 
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C

CalGirlBoater

.
Jul 2, 2018
12
Erickson 25+ Marina Del Rey
Thanks for that helpful tip, MitchM! And thanks to everyone who also took the time and thought to write on here. I appreciate you all!!
 
MikeHoncho

MikeHoncho

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Dec 28, 2015
1,909
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
If you empty it. Clean it out with alcohol ( water misable) not gas, let it evaporate then fill with diesel.
 
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