Diesel bug – a lesson learned
On a recent trip to the boatyard to put the finishing touches to my Jeanneau 32.2 Jacqueline I noticed Troon Lifeboat towing a yacht into Clyde Marina at Ardrossan. There was quite a heavy sea running and the channel to Ardrossan Harbour is not for the faint hearted in these conditions.
Once the 32ft yacht was safely alongside nosiness got the better of me and I enquired as to what the trouble was. It turned out the dreaded diesel bug had struck and the sea conditions had done a good job of mixing the contaminated fuel in the tank of the stricken vessel.
I always treat my fuel with an appropriate treatment and keep the tank full to the brim when the boat is stored over the winter. This year however on a visit to the boat I accidentally left the boat heater on timer for about 10 days which led to the tank being half empty. As the boat is stored on the hard I didn’t bother topping the tank back up.
The incident with the towed yacht spurred me to check inside the tank and I’m so glad I did.
Once emptied, the tank contained a considerable amount of black gunge – witnessing someone else’s misfortune saved me from a similar fate. Kevin Smyth, by email