Dock Fuel Transfer

I'm looking for some ideas on fueling the boat on the lift. We usually bring gas from home out to the lake, walk down the slope with the gas cans and fuel in the lift or down on the dock. The problem is with these "Enviro" gas can spouts, it's killing me to fuel the boat. Holding the tab down, lifting the gas can up and trying to fuel through the recessed "unleaded" hole in the fuel fill tube is getting tiresome. I was thinking of using one of the 15 gallon semi-portable tanks that Northern sells and extending the hose to the dock. I like the idea of the nozzle end for control and gravity to feed the fuel in. What are you guys doing to get this accomplished easier and smoother?

If I go with the 15+ gallon fuel tank mounted in the shed on the dock, I would like a fairly light gas-proof hose that a 15-20 foot spool would be easy to deal with. Any ideas? Thanks............

Steve, you need one of these bad boys!!

I Love it Marty!

I prolly can get that at Race City Marine! Ha!!!

Steve,
"KIS" and let gravity do the job. My shoreline has a slope to it as well and requires a run of stairs. (18 rises) I purchased one of the 13 gallon wheeled poly totes figuring that was the largest the wife could lift into the car. 50 feet of 3/4" fuel rated poly tubing and some plastic (solvent rated) cam lock quick connects at the tank made it a simple set up keeping the tote at the top of the hill. I used the ball valve on the boat end of the tubing that came with the gas tote. The tubing and cam lock fittings came from Mcmaster. The tubing stays on the hill. The length out to the lift gets wound up on a garden hose reel mounted on the side of the stair railing when it's not being used.

I have several of the VP fuel cans myself for the dirt bikes. Never thought of using them for the boat, but that's a great idea!

Morfoot wrote: Steve, I've seen guys attach a huge funnel to the post with clear tubing long enough to reach the boat. Stick the tubing into the fuel tank then stand on the dock with your five gallon can with the pour spout removed and dump it down the funnel. Empties a 5 gallon can in no time.

The only thing I worry about with this method is really knowing how much fuel to put in the boat. It's hard to the fuel once it's been poured into the funnel. I guess you could have a valve at the boat side of the tube to turn it off. This is the way my Uncle Jack filled his pontoon for years. Not always a pretty sight.

Waterdog,

The fuel pump method sounds interested. I started searching around for different pumps and the more I thought out how I would get it assembled, I realized keeping a battery charged for this purpose didn't sound like something I'm interested in. I mainly don't like the idea of hooking up the clips to the battery to fill the boat with gas. The safety courses have you turn off all of the electrical components in the boat prior to fueling for obvious fear of a spark.

I currently us the siphon that Gary referenced. That siphon is a beast. You still have to handle the gas cans though. If anyone is going to handle gas cans, then those siphons are the way to go IMO. They will also empty a five gallon can pretty quickly.

I do have a "jiggler" siphon it works good. I can see your point w/sparks off the batt connections. If your not comfortable with it then don't use it. The leads on my pump are 6 ft long or so. It would be safer if I had a on/off in line thou. I hook the pump up first then open the fuel. I've never seen a spark while connecting the batt. (Positive cable first on - first off.) The pump is made for fuel so I transfer fuel with it. Last weekend I used it to move fuel oil from one tank to another 150 gals. in a little more than an hour.       

I use the jigglers. I use them for everything; mower, Allis, quad, boats, plow truck.   Cheap and easy.

ditto. I load the boat while it's fueling up.

.

This is the hand siphon method. No jiggler needed. Tall skinny plastic cans work the best. The new gas cans without the vent are actually a blessing since it's just another part to break off and leak (and you have to seal it off to get the siphon going). The crappy nozzle goes in the garbage can and seal disc is all that is used. Some cans you might need to keep the nozzle to make a seal for transport.



If you really want to get as much gas out as possible lift it up higher, make sure the hose is buried deep in a corner and tilt the can. On a good fill there's nothing left to even pour out, it'll evaporate. If you just leave the can sit there obviously there will be some left, which I'm able to pour in the tank without the need for a nozzle.