Current Position: 17 44.318’S 168 18.643’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 0 kt COG: N/A; TWS: 7 kt; TWD: 23; Distance to Waypoint (Vanuatu, Efata, Port Vila): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 6941 nm; Engine Hours: 164 Estimate Fuel: 60+15+50
Comments: While working in the cockpit, I noticed one of the scaffolding tubes that supports some of the solar panels had come out of its socket. I always suspected the single set screw of the joints would not be strong enough to hold everything together. I am going to use a ratchet strap to do that. It really needs to be welded, but that would require taking all the solar company’s off. I will tighten all of the set screw tomorrow. There was a fair amount of rain last night and it is cloudy this morning. I began the day, after my tea, by trying to find the leak in the fuel polishing system. Thinking it had to be one of the two parts I had taken apart, I reseated the Racor and the strainer for the pump. To make it easier to take the strainer apart in the future (it has been incredibly difficult), I wrapped the threads with teflon tape. There was still a leak, so I tried something different … I closed the valve on the fuel polishing system that samples fuel from one of the two tanks. When I turned on the fuel pump the system pulled very good vacuum suggesting the system is sealed. I then reopened the valve to the main tank and closed the valve in the main tank itself. Shockingly, the system pulled a good vacuum. The system is acting like there is no fuel in the main tank … but that is impossible. It was full in Tahiti and I have only run the engine a short period. The take-up tubes pass through a plate on top of the tank. In the backside of the plate the tubes are screwed in. I suppose it is possible I’m the tube is leaking there. The simplest test is to swap the take-up and return hoses, since both tubes go to the bottom of the tank. Switching the hoses did not fix the problem. From finally, I unscrewed the sending unit and looked into the tank with a flashlight. There was no fuel! The engine has 164h on it since it was installed. It had about 36h when I changed the transmission fluid and filled both tanks (for a total of 75 gal in tanks and 60 gal on deck. In Hiva Oa at the end of April it had about 65h on it (when I changed the oil), and I purchased 15 gal of fuel. I purchased another 25 gal of fuel in Tahiti. Since the 60 gal tank is empty, all the cans on deck are full, I gave used 60+15+25=100 gal if fuel so travel about 100h. At 1500 rpm I estimate the fuel consumption to be 0.7 gal/h, but sometimes I ran at 2000 rpm (although most of the hours were for charging batteries at 1000 rpm). So, I am guessing I did burn through the fuel. I have recalibrated the main tank sending unit so I can keep better track of the fuel usage. This also explains the water/sludge I pumped out … it was the bottom of the barrel. In any case, I will be leaving Vanuatu with 60 in the main, 15 in the day, and 50 on deck, as I did when I left San Carlos three months ago. I didn’t get done what I planned today, but I solved an important problem regarding the fuel system. I am going to start recording engine hours in my reports.
Comments: While working in the cockpit, I noticed one of the scaffolding tubes that supports some of the solar panels had come out of its socket. I always suspected the single set screw of the joints would not be strong enough to hold everything together. I am going to use a ratchet strap to do that. It really needs to be welded, but that would require taking all the solar company’s off. I will tighten all of the set screw tomorrow. There was a fair amount of rain last night and it is cloudy this morning. I began the day, after my tea, by trying to find the leak in the fuel polishing system. Thinking it had to be one of the two parts I had taken apart, I reseated the Racor and the strainer for the pump. To make it easier to take the strainer apart in the future (it has been incredibly difficult), I wrapped the threads with teflon tape. There was still a leak, so I tried something different … I closed the valve on the fuel polishing system that samples fuel from one of the two tanks. When I turned on the fuel pump the system pulled very good vacuum suggesting the system is sealed. I then reopened the valve to the main tank and closed the valve in the main tank itself. Shockingly, the system pulled a good vacuum. The system is acting like there is no fuel in the main tank … but that is impossible. It was full in Tahiti and I have only run the engine a short period. The take-up tubes pass through a plate on top of the tank. In the backside of the plate the tubes are screwed in. I suppose it is possible I’m the tube is leaking there. The simplest test is to swap the take-up and return hoses, since both tubes go to the bottom of the tank. Switching the hoses did not fix the problem. From finally, I unscrewed the sending unit and looked into the tank with a flashlight. There was no fuel! The engine has 164h on it since it was installed. It had about 36h when I changed the transmission fluid and filled both tanks (for a total of 75 gal in tanks and 60 gal on deck. In Hiva Oa at the end of April it had about 65h on it (when I changed the oil), and I purchased 15 gal of fuel. I purchased another 25 gal of fuel in Tahiti. Since the 60 gal tank is empty, all the cans on deck are full, I gave used 60+15+25=100 gal if fuel so travel about 100h. At 1500 rpm I estimate the fuel consumption to be 0.7 gal/h, but sometimes I ran at 2000 rpm (although most of the hours were for charging batteries at 1000 rpm). So, I am guessing I did burn through the fuel. I have recalibrated the main tank sending unit so I can keep better track of the fuel usage. This also explains the water/sludge I pumped out … it was the bottom of the barrel. In any case, I will be leaving Vanuatu with 60 in the main, 15 in the day, and 50 on deck, as I did when I left San Carlos three months ago. I didn’t get done what I planned today, but I solved an important problem regarding the fuel system. I am going to start recording engine hours in my reports.