No!
We love her too much.
While servicing our engines, the technician found our starboard diesel filter seriously contaminated with gum and dirt. Upon further inspection, the starboard diesel tank has a lot of water! 🙁
The wise decision is to postpone our departure for one more day and address the issue. Hence, our docking on the service dock in Portimao. To me this docks looks more like a boat graveyard.
Tomorrow (Aug 18) technicians will pump out the starboard tank. Open it and clean the inside. After that, pumping fresh diesel through the fuel line system will clean the fuel lines. That diesel too will be removed and garbage 🙁
We knew for a while we had a diesel bug problem, since fueling 50L in Tangiers, Morocco in 2018 (only the starboard tank – thank god)
But, today we had to realize, that despite all the chemical additives the tank needs a more solid cleaning. We are loosing 300L Diesel because of contamination. Need 20L to clean and flush fuel lines and then fill the tanks with fresh (hopefully) 300L new diesel.
Wednesday morning we’ll leave – fingers crossed. That’s our current planning, if weather and tidal times in the Straits of Gibraltar make this a sensible departure. We probably have to catch up on the time lost by sailing straight to Sicily.
Can you drop a clear vinyl hose to the bottom of the tank? Then pump out till the water changes to diesel. Run the remaining diesel through a fuel polisher and you should be good to go and don’t have to get rid of 300L.
If you fuel in places where the fuel quality is questionable, they make these portable filters that separate out any water while fueling. Not the best flow rate but better than having contaminated fuel.
Will never fill my tanks with Diesel from Lybia again!!! Occurred in Morocco two years ago. This Diesel was oxidized or so, the tank had solid black gum on the bottom. Hence the decision to exchange. Upcoming trip is 7 days nonstop to Sicily and cannot afford failure. Next time we have to buy fuel in dodgy locations will pour 5L in clear plastic container, inspect and then fill our tank or just leave. We thought of polishing, but cost is higher than a simple pumpout and tank cleaning. You are right it would have been cheaper, but not so much.
Hope you got under way today. Your fuel contamination problem makes me feel guilty for complaining recently about a minor, recurring water contamination problem in the Mirage’s right wing tank (thank goodness for sump drains).
Good luck and smooth sailing.
N2U? New plane? Need to see picture by email.