If you are laying up your motor-boat for a few months fuel contamination could be a real problem when starting up again.

Marine Red Diesel

Condensation in diesels tanks is the most common problem and it is recommended to avoid any space being taken up with moisture all tanks are filled for the lay- up periods.  As fuel levels lower in normal cruising the moisture-laden air condenses in the tank due to the ambient temperature changes. At this point water finds its way into your fuel and filters.  On the surface diesel bug can exist between the water and fuel having a detrimental effect on the fuel.  Another to keep the tank full whenever practicable

Petrol

Better to leave the tank empty when not cruising for long periods as petrol can go off over a long period. Symptoms are poor starting or even failure to start. Many companies provide fuel stabilizers when the tank is left full during several months of none cruising. Fuel Doctor is one such company that provide a fuel additive which also helps to give maximum power, improve fuel economy and prevent fuel system contamination. 

Fuel Expansion

Whilst full tanks for marine red diesel and when managed correctly in petrol tanks are steps to reduce the risk of contamination don’t forget that fuel expands on those warm days. A means to either collect any spillage, which should be removed as soon as practicable for safety reason, under the tank with a drip tray or leave a 10 % clearance space at the top of the tank to allow for expansion especially in the summer months.   If cruising outside the U.K. in warmer climes you may need to increase the clearance space mentioned above to prevent spillage due to increased expansion!

Conclusion

Near Full or empty is the best way to leave the tank when storing.

VAT

HMRC have confirmed that VAT will continue to be charged at 5% on red diesel fuel for propulsion and domestic use. Only weeks before the fuel duty derogation for red diesel ends for propulsion on leisure craft the HRMC have cleared up some potential confusion in the industry regarding the amount of VAT to be charged. Good news, the VAT level is to remian at 5%,  i.e. not to be increased to 17.5%.

RED DIESEL FUEL DUTY

The expiry of the reduced rate of fuel duty is still going ahead and pleasure boat owners can expect an increase in fuel duty from the current 9.69 pence up to 50.35 pence from 1st November for all fuel declared for navigational(propulsion) purposes. Fuel duty for fuel declared for heating (domestic) purposes on both leisure and commercial boats remains unchanged at 9.69 pence. 

Several news stories this week refer to the RNLI saving fuel !

The RNLI estimates its annual fuel bill this year will be up 100%, from £1.5m for 2007 to £3m for 2008.

Some lifeboats at top speed uses 360 litres of fuel an hour but last year marine diesel cost 38p/litre, now it has shot up to 72.4p. Fuel efficiency has suddenly become critical.

Although at top speed (24 knots) the lifeboat uses 360 litres an hour, at 20 knots, with the engine below 2000rpm, the rate drops to below 100 litres an hour.

Coxswains and crew members are reported to be undergoing training in fuel conservation and learn to drop-back on the throttle when on a non-emergency operation.

The first mention of a fast running marine diesel is in 1903 on the Marne-Rhine canal when a French built canal barge named  “Petit Pierre” sailed, producing 25bhp at 360 rpm.

In 1904 two marine diesel engines combined were being used in a French submarine ‘Z’ 120bhp.Then in 1905 another French diesel submarine the ‘Aigrette’ with a more conventional 4 stroke engine produced 200 bhp was launched.

The first sea going application in a commercial venture is when Swedish engine firm A.B. Motorer delivered the 120 bhp, 300 rpm reversible engines for the 350 dwt cargo ships “Rapp” and “Schnapp” that were commissioned in 1908.  The vessels operated as coasters sailing in the Baltic and the North Sea.

Russia also built the Caspian Sea tanker “Djelo” of 4000 dwt in 1908. It was powered by two 500 bhp, 150 rpm engines.  In 1909 two slightly larger tankers were built with even bigger diesel engines.

Sailing ships with auxiliary engines were also being built. In 1910 an A.B. Diesel Motorer engine was installed in Amundsen’s “Fram”. In the same year the Italians built the 1000 t cargo vessel “Romagna” It had a 2-stroke Sulzer engine of 380 bhp at 250 rpm.

An early mention of an engine built for a yacht is the building in 1910 of a light weight V-8 diesel engine a 200 bhp, 600 rpm engine weighing only 10 kg/bhp. The engine was intended for  Emanuel Nobel’s yacht “Intermezzo”.

In 1910 the “Vulcanus” a small tanker 1216 dwt (2047 ton displacement) with a 6-cylinder reversible engine producing 450 bhp at 180 rpm went to sea. It was ocean going mainly sailing in the Far East between Borneo and Singapore. When compared to a similar steam driven tanker the diesel powered “Vulcanus” consumed 2 tons of oil versus 11 tons of coal for the steamship and the crew was reduced to 16 instead of 30.

On November 4, 1911 the “Selandia” the first of a series of three cargo ships, was launched in Denmark. She was a 7400 dwt (10000 ton displacement) twin propellers and driven by a Burmeister & Wain 8 cylinder, 4-stroke engine of 1050 bhp at 140 rpm. The ship’s maiden voyage took place in early February 1912. At the time the ship certainly was the largest commercial diesel powered ship and it served until 1942.

The Danish built “Selandia” whilst not the first diesel engine ship was the largest ocean going ship of the early marine diesel vessels.

Author.

G.Bissett,

 www.MarineFuelPoint.com  5^th July 2008.

Acknowledgements

·         D. Stapersma, ‘Vulcanus versus Selandia’  july 1996, Voorburg, The Netherlands.

·         C. Lyle Cummins, Diesel’s engine, CarnotPress, Oregon 1993.

Introduction

At the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris a German Dr Rudolph Diesel unveiled the world’s first compression-ignition engine capable of working on a number of fuels including peanut oil.

It was not too long before the first hydrocarbon oil duty was first imposed in 1928 by Winston Churchill, as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Stanley Baldwin’s government. Full duty was imposed on light oils, such as petrol, and a lower rebated duty on heavy oils, e.g. as diesel. However in 1935 with the development of diesel engines for cars, petrol sales declined to such an extent that in 1935 the Government applied the full rate of duty to heavy oils e.g. diesel.

An important distinction was made that this full rate of duty only applied to diesel for use as road fuel, agricultural vehicles and boats would still benefit from the lower rebated duty on fuel. Why this allowance was made to leisure boat owners back in the 1930’s is not clear but due to EU taxation alignment it ceases from the 01^st November 2008 for owners of leisure boats who use red diesel to propel their craft.

Red Diesel is a grade of gas oil for which low fuel duty is currently applied and has been artificially dyed red since 1961 to distinguish it from other fuels. Whilst almost identical to the ‘white diesel’ bought at the road side, red diesel contains higher sulphur content and is therefore less environmentally friendly. The centane reading also differ, in red diesel it is around 45 and in white diesel a minimum centane reading of 51is achieved. The higher the centane reading the better the engine should run.

Presently

At present for waterside users the red diesel is subject to a fuel low-duty rate of about 7.69 pence per litre p.p.l. and a VAT rate of 5%. The UK road user who purchases Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) or ‘white diesel’ at the roadside filling station pays a higher fuel duty of 48.35 p.p.l. and the higher VAT rate of 17.5%.

The derogation of red diesel has existed since the 1930’s but is to cease following the confirmation that the European Directive 2003/96/EC is to be applied to UK private recreational craft from 1^st November 2008. As an EU member, the UK is obliged to work from the same tax rules as everyone else and the transitional period to adjust to EU taxation rules will come to an end within this context.

In contrast, already leisure boat users across the EU fill up with the same white diesel and pay the same level of fuel duty as their road users. Exceptions at present are UK, Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Malta and Corsica.

The Future - from 1^st November 2008

Red diesel is here to stay! Whilst various proposals were put forward red diesel is to be retained at waterside pumps, but sold at two different prices.

Commercially operated craft are not affected and will continue buy at the current low-duty rate. The leisure boat owner who continues to buy red diesel is to be charged the top rate of fuel duty for heavy oil which is not ULSD or SFD (Sulphur Free Diesel) i.e. 56.94 p.p.l. fuel duty i.e. on Red diesel.

If compared with supplying White Diesel rather than Red Diesel at waterside pumps there is an increase of about 6 p.p.l.in fuel duty by keeping Red Diesel at the pumps for leisure boat owners. However keeping the current supply lines in place will mean less disruption to the infrastructure.

The leisure boat user is required to self-declare the duty difference at a later date. There is an exception that red diesel for domestic use on board is to be charged at the lower rate of fuel duty, the consumption levels of ‘domestic’ e.g. heating and other ‘domestic uses’ may experience a small increase from the 1^st November 2008.