There's got to be a better way...

Skipper · Aug 28, 2016

Yours is more advanced than mine.
I use a dowel. Although, my access is drastically better. The deck fill is in the cockpit floor, and a straight shot to the tank below. It's actually quite easy to check, and since I only have to check it about once every few months, not a problem.

To address your question, unlike mine your tank actually has a hole to put a sensor float, where your gauge is now. Then you can put a remote gauge in the boat somewhere.
Of course the hole won't be the right size, but maybe can mod.

Another remedy is to measure hours, with a known burn rate. Then fill on a schedule.

Benny17441 · Aug 28, 2016

There is indeed a better way and more accurate than a fuel gauge. 1) You will need to install an hour meter gauge to the key switch so that every time you turn the key to start the engine the hour meter will measure the amount of time the engine was ran. Should be able to find one for under $25. 2)You will also need to find out the size of the tank in gallons. Not all fuel in the tank is useful as at certain low level depending on sea motion the fuel may start sloshing around causing the engine to suck air and die. It is prudent to consider a 10 to 15% of capacity as a reserve or unusable hence a 20 gallon tank might only provide 17 gallons of usable fuel. 3) You will need to set up a log, a note book to write down the hour meter reading at which you filled the tank 4) with all this you are now ready to calculate the average burn rate (gallons used per hour) of your engine. This burn rate is irrespective of winds and currents, hull condition, propeller etc. The size of the engine is the primary factor for the burn rate and as we are seeking an average figure the changes in RPM are merely represented in the customary way in which you use your boat time after time. To calculate, fill up the tank and write the hour meter reading into your log. Run the boat as you normally do for around 10 motoring hours and then fill up again this time making a not of the number of gallons taken on as indicated by the meter at the filling pump. Once you have the number of gallons you divide by the number of hours and then you have your individual average burn rate for your engine. Repeating the process at every topping of the tank will continue to narrow down your calculations into a reliable figure. 5) Now that you have the burn rate this is how you tell at any given time how much fuel you have in the tank by just glancing at the hour meter and the log. Let's say your boat has a two cylinder diesel and your burn rate is around 1/2 GPH and you are out there and want to know how much fuel you have left. Just look at the hour meter reading and substract the reading from the log to see how much time has transpired from the last fill up. Lets say it has been 12 hours so at 1/2 GPH you have used 6 gallons. If you use the previous tank example where we determined a useful fuel capacity of 17 gallons then you know that you have 11 gallons left. This method will prove more accurate and more reliable than a fuel gauge. 6) Now that you know how much fuel you have left you will want to know how far can you go. Well that is tricky as depending on wind and current and the condition of your hull and propeller you might go 1nm in one hour or 10 nm in one hour. The way to do it is to calculate range while under way every hour on the hour. If you are doing a speed of 5 knots you could project that in 5 hours you will have covered 25nm but if on the second hour your speed drops to 4 knots then you adjust your range to 16 nm for the last remaining hours and so on and so forth. You know that you have 11 hours of remaining fuel so you will want your calculations of speed and distance to place you at a fueling station before the 11 hours.

This system becomes second nature after a while and you will always be able to easily and accurately keep tabs on your fuel situation. There is plenty of info in the archives about the burn rate. This is the way mariners have been calculating fuel usage and range for decades.

Roland5048 · Aug 28, 2016

BlowMeAway said:
So curiosity got the better of me today and I simply thought...I should check the fuel level. Down the companionway I went, removed all the stowed gear and cushions in the port side quarter berth, removed all the engine panels and opened the cockpit lazerette to let in as much light as possible. Then the fun begins searching for a fuel gauge. Ah, there it is mounted flush on the top of the diesel holding tank. Apparently a simple fuel level float thing. Well, how the heck do you read that?

Crawl back out of quarter berth, get flashlight and automotive inspection mirror, re-contort old guy body to place head inside engine compartment, brush spider webs off of forehead, adjust mirror and shine flashlight at appropriate angle to see gauge is covered in soot, exit quarter berth to fetch a rag. Repeat! Discover you have over half-tank full.

Any of you H30C owners have a better way to see this gauge or monitor fuel level? There is no other fuel instruments on this boat.

Seems, from your description, you have the same gauge as me. I shine a light over the engine to look at the gauge. You probably have a 12.5 gal tank, like mine. Fill and see what your gauge reads. You can possibly rotate the outer cylinder to read 'F', for full. When the gauge reads 1/2, doesn't necessarily mean the tank is half full....or empty. When I'm at a half, five gallons will fill me up. Fill, and read what Benny wrote.

RoyS · Aug 29, 2016

I have a 1980 33'. My boat came with the same tank float gauge that you describe and a little removable hatch to view it in the quarter berth. The problem is that the tank is in backwards which places the float gauge at the wrong corner for viewing. If the tank were moved end for end you would be able to see the gauge, but that cannot be accomplished now. I installed an electric float sender with remote gauge which works well. The difficulty is installing the float sender unit which you must do mostly by feel, at least in a 33. The good news is that the tank mounting holes are in the right places for an electric sender.

kito · Aug 29, 2016

I was thinking about mounting an unbreakable mirror above my gauge that is angled a bit. I could then just open my cockpit seat and read the gauge with a handheld mirror.

Dalliance · Aug 29, 2016

My '82 H30 has an electric float sender and a remote gauge next to the electrical panel above the nav desk. This thread confirms my assumption that it was installed by the previous owner and not original equipment. I always thought it a bit inconvenient that it's in the cabin and not near the engine panel and fuel fill. Little did I know how good I have it.

Jim Legere · Aug 31, 2016

How about something like this (on the right) mounted in the cockpit floor above the fuel tank gauge?

Maine Sail · Aug 31, 2016

BlowMeAway said:
Ah, there it is mounted flush on the top of the diesel holding tank. Apparently a simple fuel level float thing.

Snip...

Discover you have over half-tank full.

Any of you H30C owners have a better way to see this gauge or monitor fuel level?

If the fuel gauge is a mechanical one similar to the one in the back ground of this photo simply purchase the "Electronic Conversion Capsule" and add a remote 12V fuel gauge....

This converts most mechanical senders into mechanical and electronic.

Pat · Aug 31, 2016

Our 272 came with a 1/4 inch wooden dowel that has 1/4 full, 1/2 full, 3/4 full and so on marked up to full and it has worked flawlessly since 1986..I measure from the fill cap which is behind the helmsman seat on the top of the cockpit coaming; very near my flag pole base.....Pat

kito · Aug 31, 2016

BlowMeAway said:
So Kito, you can view your gauge through the cockpit lazerette? I have a plywood panel installed along that side of the cockpit in the engine/tank compartment. Heck, maybe I could just cut an opening to see the gauge from the starboard side. As Roys stated, I think my tank was installed 180 degrees from where the gauge would be visible from the port side aft berth as well.

Thanks guys, pretty good tips. I'll check it out this weekend.

No panel on my starboard side. I'm not sure if there ever was one or not. I took out the port aft quarter berth bulkhead and can see the tank gauge there too. I am using that area for storage anyway. There is a ton of wasted storage area behind that bulkhead.

SFS · Aug 31, 2016

@kito I sent you a PM about removing that bulkhead.

frankies56 · Sep 3, 2016

wow lots of coment on this. I have poor eye sight and it was hard for me to read.being a auto and marine technician. I took out that whole thing out and install a universal auto level sending unit and drill a hole inside next to my battery switch just tucked up under the companionway and installed a fuel gauge and a switch to turn it on when I want to check the level. I personally dont know why a boat biulder would do this I am shure it would have cost the same as a mechanical one would have I spent 35.00 dollars and about and hours time. now my thought turn to the water tanks I have seen level units and I am studying on how to make it all work as I have two tanks. I am not the type to spend 300.00 to 500.00 on a panel and senders. ps those universal senders are adjustable you have to messure the depth of the tank and bend the float to read when full and empty and leave about and inch from the bottom to give your self and emergency reserve