increasing fuel capecity

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BalladExchangeDB
Capt'n
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Registriert: Freitag 8. Juli 2011, 17:14

increasing fuel capecity

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Dear Ballad-friends,

As you all know the dieseltank of a Ballad is rather small (33liters). I know I have a sailboat but each year I make about 150 till 200 hundred enginehours. The place of the tank does not cost much space, so from that point of view it is okay. However the position is horizontal , that means there is a risk if you go below the level of 10 liters, to draw some air in your engine. Question: is there anybody who made an extra fueltank, for instance in connection with the original fueltank or do we all cope with filling up our tank out of some extra jerrycans?

Gerard
"Mallejan" #1144
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Capt'n
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Registriert: Freitag 8. Juli 2011, 17:14

Re: increasing fuel capecity

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msn-sophina_albinballad
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msn-sophina_albinballad wrote on Mar 24, '08
Hi Gerard,

I just inspected my tank this weekend (for the presence of diesel bacteria, luckily there were none). The tank is shaped according to the hull, and the diesel is drawn from a pipe that sticks down into the deepest corner (front left corner) of the tank. So unless the boat is constantly tilted a lot to starboard while running the engine, I dont think the risk of drawing air is too big.

You can see some pictures at http://www.sophina.se/proj/diesel/b_diesel.php
(sorry, text is in Swedish).

I have solved the need for extra fuel by bringing an additional 20 liter tank, that gives me more than 100 NM range on engine.

Best regards
Tommy
msn-patentnick1 wrote on Mar 24, '08
Hi Gerard:

I've dwelled on this issue myself as I've been looking into increasing my motoring range. I 've yet to come up with a great solution. Like Tommy, I carry spare fuel in the form of two 22-litre jerry cans, which I store in the port locker--that way, the weight is pretty evenly distributed, which is one reason why jerry cans make sense. The total of 77 litres gives me a range of 130-150nm. One thing I've though of doing was to install an electric transfer pump somewhere under the cockpit with the pick-up hose near the jerry cans and the outlet hose in the main tank. That way, transferring fuel from jerry can(s) to main tank would only require undoing the cap on the jerry can, inserting the pick-up hose and switching the pump on--no jerry cans to lift out of lockers, no bad back, no mess. Of course, you can fabricate a larger fuel tank, using the original as a template. Tek tanks can make anything you want if you provide them with the right dimensions. Check out www.tek-tanks.com Another solution would be to position a tank just behind the engine, underneath the cockpit floor. However, in Moments of Clarity, with engine access as bad as it is, I find that I need every inch of space in order to change an impeller, for example. If you have a smaller engine--or a newer one, where the water pump is in the front--then access may not be as important so space can be better uitilised.

Jerry cans wedged in a specially-made floor in the port locker. There's enough space for a permanent 40-50 litre tank in there, but I like the flexibility of jerry cans.
Either way, if you have a port berth rather than a locker, this may not work for you.


Nicholas
Moments of Clarity #334
jespermilling
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jespermilling wrote on Mar 24, '08
We have two 10 liter jerry cans aboard, for extra Diesel. They should be in the port locker off course to counter the permanent heel to starboard. But our port locker is the "clean" locker. 10 liter jerry cans can be carried, and provide a necessary means of tranporting diesel, which cannot always be bought at the waterfront.

A pump is a splendid idea, as long as it doesn쨈t ignite the fuel.

Jesper Milling
msn-b1144 wrote on Mar 25, '08
Hi Tommy and Nicholas,

I think Tommy you are right about the pipe just next to the engine , which is the deepest point of the fueltank. At the moment I do the same as Nicholas , I have two spare jerrycans of 28 liters which are in the starboardlocker. When I need to fill up the fueltank I use a siphon, the same type as you use to empty a fishtank. I own my Ballad 24 years and several times I was thinking of solutions for storing more fuel. Maybe it is a non-problem. In september I will stop working, so the idee is to cruise more extendedly. For the water capecity I wil make an extra tank in the saloon beneath the starboard settee.

Kind regards,
Gerard
Mallejan # 1144
jespermilling wrote on Mar 25, '08
Hi Gerard

When putting in an extra water tank, please don't forget the Ballad is already overloaded in the starboard side. Well at least our Ballad is, it has a permanent heel to starboard.
msn-b1144 wrote on Mar 26, '08
Thanks Jesper,

I have also planned q 30 liter holdingtank for the toilet which will come behind and above the toilet.So on starboard. There is also a 28 kg Origo 6000 furnace + the coolbox filled up with food. On the other side there are 2 haevy radio's frome Sailor. In the portside locker there is a spare battery of 77Ah for an electric outboard + a 6 persons liferaft + other gear. When the time is there I will try to balance my boat and decide on what side I will put the extra probably flexible watertank of around 80 liters. So you now know a lot more about my boat.

Kind regards,
Gerard
Mallejan # 1144
msn-josin3092 wrote on Mar 30, '08
Extra fuel capacity was rather necessary last 'summer'! During 2500 nm up to Lofoten and back we used over 500 litres of diesel. Headwinds were very prevalent.
Josin has an extra 65 liter tank under the cockpit floor behind the engine rear hood. This space became available having re-organised the engine exhaust system, (see earlier article on engine damage due to incorrect exhaust).
A cardboard model was made up to make max use of the available space and a local stainless steel welding shop copied it into metal. Vetus levelgauge/filling/ventilation equipment. Tank mounted by a flange at each lower corner bolted to a mulitiply wooden leg bonded to the hull. Extra filling fitting next door to the standard one.
The standard tank is not disturbed but now feeds the Erbesp챈cher heater.
I'll take pictures and post them on this site soon.
I still carry a 20 liter jerrycan, just to be on the safe side!
msn-holland_utrecht wrote on Mar 31, '08
In our ballad (277) a previous owner installed an extra diesel tank of appox 35 liter. The tank is located underneath the cockpit floor. In front of the tiller shaft. It is connected to the original tank. With a valve I can fill up the original tank from the extra tank. The engine only draws from the original tank. This works verry good, and gives us a large actiradius. While motor sailing we completed the german bight from Brunsbuttel germany to Vlieland in holland without refueling.
jespermilling
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jespermilling wrote on Mar 31, '08
Hi Alex from utrecht! How do you fill the extra tank with diesel? Do you fill the normal tank, and open the valve? or does it have its own filling line.

Jesper M.
http://msn-holland_utrecht.multiply.com/
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