Unless you're able to find other people who also bought bad fuel from them and went after them as a group, I don't think you'd have much luck.

Even if you would prove that you had their fuel in your boat, they'd be able to say that maybe it was fuel you already had in the boat that caused the problem. You could always go buy a gallon of fuel from them today (put in a brand new container) and have it tested, but who knows if that would even help you.

 

[ July 25, 2005, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: Rod ]

 

You already see the problems with trying to prove it was their fuel and so on. I think you may just be unfortunately screwed on this one. What you can do, though, is make sure all your boating buddies at the marina know to purchase their fuel somewhere else, every time. You'll put a lot more hurt on them if even just a few boats buy their fuel elsewhere than beating your head against a wall to get $85 back.

Sorry about the experience -- that's a real bummer.

Cheers, John

 

Do you treat your tanks with BioBore? If not that growth will happen in your tanks even with clean fuel given time. Always add BioBore with every fill. There is also a service to clean fuel in your boat that just runs it though several Racor filters until it runs clean no steam cleaning necesary

 

MN12 may be onto something , I remember we had this on our boat back a few years ago now, after it sat the whole winter in the water (in South Africa most people leave the boats in the water because cheaper and no freezing) and they cleaned in in situ... I also remember being told about an additive which would help ... do not remember more though

 

Originally posted by Rod:
...I understood it can be picked up from another boat via the...nozzle. I've had it a couple of time...It usually takes a couple of days for a contamination to grow enough slime to cause problems. ...I always have a small bottle of alcohol (stuff I use to start the diesel stove) and a paper towel to wipe down the nozzle before I put it in...Haven’t had a slime attack since I started using alcohol.

I swear I didn't add a sinlge word to Rods post, only removed some

 

ROD??
FFRed,I can see why he edited his post!
He should be really be more selective of the nozzle he inserts.

 

Question from a land lubber:

Is the diesel in boats different than the diesel in trucks and cars? It seems that some of the big ships use fuel oil or some other less refined form of diesel, is that the same stuff you use? Can cars and trucks get this stuff in their fuel systems? Is it just more prevalent in boats cause they sit for long periods of time and in moist conditions?

 

SloW8, same stuff, #2 Diesel Fuel. The reasons for the algae contamination of diesel are also very possible in cars and trucks.. the condensation formed inside a tank by heat(read day) and cool (read night) conditions mostly happens if the fuel tanks are not full. You hit the nail on the head with the fact that boats do sit for longer periods, so if it happens, it normally goes un-noticed and unchecked for longer periods, so more crap in your tanks. Keeping a tank full (reducing the area of tank where water will condensate) is a good first line of defense.

2savage, my suggestion here is Biobor just like mn12 said, every time you fuel. Always used it on our 45 Chris and never had a problem. Another good idea is to get a Baja pre-tank filter. West Marine or Boat US carry them. They are used to pour fuel through (like a funnel) before it hits your tank.

On proving that it's their fuel... I'd just take the experience, take the lesson, and leave it at that. It's going to be pretty hard to prove that it was their fuel. Marinas go through a huge amount of diesel, and to pinpoint that it was theirs is a hard proposition.

Sorry that you had to go thru that hell to get your fuel system back up to par.

Cheers,

Will

 

2Savage, my dad is an avid offshore sailboat racer (IOR-b) and he swears by Racor fuel filter/water seperators. He even has the shop install the large Racor filters on all his land vehicles! After buying "bad" fuel in Mexico once (we were motoring back from Cabo after a race) we drifted for 2 days off the coast of Mexico; no motor and absolutely no wind) The motor's injectors, fuel injector pump, fuel filters and lines were all contaminated with junk. The large Racor filters will keep the expensive parts of the fuel system clean and help to prevent microbial action by separating and draining water from the fuel system. A good biocide as recomended above is also a good idea. I think keeping the tanks full also helps prevent condensation on the interior walls during storage.

 

Condensate wil always form in fuel tanks, not just diesel. Vehicles, like boats, that tend to sit around for a while between uses have more condensation than usual, especially if the tanks are near empty. Bacteria and algae live at the oil/water interface and cause a sludgy, yellow formation that clogs filters and injectors. There are lots of products that kill the bacteria, but they must be used on a regular basis to be effective. Don't blame the guy who sold you the fuel, because it's not his fault.

 

You need to add a anti bacteriological agent each time you add diesel. That way nothing can grow in the tank...even if the fuel was contaminated when it was pumped in. And by the way, all fuel will eventually grow slime no matter how new it is, if you dont add the agent at each fill. The alternative is to burn the fuel faster than the bacteria can grow, but recreational boating doesnt usually do this.

They must have pumped the slime that grew in their tank in when they filled you up in order for it to affect the performance like it did. A couple of weeks shoulc not have enough to get a growth like that. Must have been radical for the marina to remove all the fuel and go thru all that work.

As far as redress, I think you are out of luck.