Fuel Sanitation - Catalina 36 Owner's Manual

YACHT SYSTEMS (CONTD)
THIS PURPOSE, DISPOSE OF THEM ASHORE.
5.
CHECK BELOW DECKS FOR PRESENCE OF FUMES OR FUEL LEAKAGE. CHECK BILGE,
ENGINE SPACE, AND MAIN CABIN. I F FUMES OR EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE I S FOUND,
DETERMINE THE CAUSE, CORRECT I T , AND CLEAN UP ANY SPILLAGE BEFORE PRO-
CEEDING.
6. OPEN ALL HATCHES AND PORTS TO VENILATE THE BOAT.
7. SWITCH ON BATTERY.
8. THE ENGINE SHOULD BE STARTED ONLY WHEN I T I S CERTAIN THAT NO POTENTIALLY
HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS EXIST.
4 . 4 . 7
FUEL SANITATION :
BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION :
BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF THE DIESEL FUEL CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS. THE BACTERIA
NEED BOTH WATER
AND
FUEL TO EXIST, AND THRIVE AT THE FUEL/WATER INTERFACE
I N A FUEL TANK. AS THEY MULTIPLY, THEY FORM MORE WATER AND A FILTER CHOCK-
ING BROWN SLIME. THEIR PRESENCE WILL NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL ROUGH WEATHER CHURNS
UP THE FUEL TANK CAUSING CLOGGED FILTERS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.
KEEPING WATER OUT OF THE FUEL WILL PREVENT THE PROBLEM ENTIRELY. VOWEVER,
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WATER DUE TO NORMAL CONDENSATION INT THE TANK I S TO BE
EXPECTED.
FUEL ADDITIVIES OR FUNGICIDES PROVIDE ANOTHER MEANS OF COMBATTING CONTAMIN-
ATION. ADDITIVES BREAK THE WATER DOWN TO A MOLECULAR LEVEL, DISPERSING I T
THROUGHOUT THE FUEL AND ALLOWING I T TO PASS HARMLESSLY THROUGH THE FUEL
SYSTEM. SEVERAL BRANDS OF THIS PRODUCT ARE
AVAILABLE AT MARINE STORES.