water in the fuel tank - 28' seabird power boat

I have a seabird power boat 29ft with aluminum fuel tanks …. The problem is I got water in the fuel tank and I don’t know how to get it out … taking the boat out of the water is not an easy option … any advices ??

 

if there is not to much water you might get away with putting some metholated spirits in the tank if it is petrol powered. the metho breaks the water down and it will pass through the engine with out causing problems. you need to supply more information. is it diesel or petrol , how much water, how big are the tanks, what sort of filtration does it have.

 

thanks for your reply .... here is some some information so you may have clear view to the problem

the fuel is petrol
how much water ?? i don't know
how big r the tank ? about 300 liters
filtration gasoline fuel filter for high performance marine engine & & Water Separators
please let me know if u need any farther information

 

and its a 2 stroke engine and its automatically mixing the petrol with the oil ..... one more question .... if this way is functioning ... is there any reasonable mixing ratio between the petrol and the metho ??

 

what sort of engine is it. if its an evinrude etec or one of the other late model outboards i would not use the metho without seeking advice from a dealer. etec injectors are very expensive and easily water damaged. can get a petrol rated transfer pump or siphon the tank empty. drain it completely and put fresh fuel in. then monitor the water traps and drain them as they fill. eventually you should get rid of the water unless it is getting in somewhere like the filler or breathers. always keep tanks full to prevent condensation.

 

i am not an outboard mechanic so make sure you get a qualified second opinion. if gonzo sees the thread he will be able to offer more advice.

 

well .... I’m using 2 engines MERCURY OFFSHORE 200 HP with 6 cylinders each 1998 year model out board and the both engines are not with injectors … normal carburetors …. Will that makes my life easier??!!!

 

Lets start at the begining !!how did the water get in the tank ??
That need to be sorted so it never happens again !!
How many filters are in the system you have installed ??
There need to be a glass water separation filter first in the line and then a element type filter !! Then last and almost impossible to get to the motor fillter !! so 3 is a minimum !!
Glass filter bowl should have a drain at the bottom so can see any water and drain into a container to disposse of it !! dont hide the filter somewhere thats hard to find and even harder to get to .
You can simply pump the fuel out of your tank plus all the water with it !!
Pump all the fuel into a drum and then re filter it all so can be put back in the boat tank again . Its a good time also to do a total end to end check of pipes ,hoses ,and hose clips etc etc ,also time to check how the hose is retained in possition all along its route from the tank to the motor .
When looking for a filter to install find the one recomended and then get the next size up !!. There are filters with watertraps built in as one unit But make sure there is a sight bowl so you can see water !! why fit a filter you cant see into I will never know !!
Theres so many fuel filters on the market to choose from . And get a spare element to put away for that rainy day !!
Remember fuel vapor is heavyer than air and will find its way into your bilge you can bank on it !!,so i hope you are not a smoker while you are working on your boat !!.
MARINE 320R-RAC-01 this is just one of the fuel filters

 

don't filter the fuel and put it back. keep it for your lawnmower . i think you need to drain it out because you don't know how much water is in there. put fresh fuel back in. i agree with tunnels about checking all the hoses and clamps, everything else was in my previous post.

 

the carburettors are safer than injection when water gets in the system.

 

i have to tell u that i bought this boat and it was a bandit for about 1 year so i already checked the hose and clamps .... i sent a mail to gonzo telling him the entire problem hope he will get back to me soon ... the problem is i have already 200 liters of petrol in the tank and i don't think handling this amount of petrol out of the tank is not either safe or good idea ... actually i find the metholated spirits solution - if recommended - is very convenient ....

 

Still asking where did the water come from ?? how much do you think is in there !!

 

the metho is only to break down a small amount of water and we still don't know how much water is in your tanks. why is removing 200 lt any more dangerous than 20 lt.

 

STOP GUESSING AND DRAIN THE TANK !! iTS YOUR LIFE AND ANYONE ELSE TRAVELLING WITH YOU THAT YOU ARE PUTTING AT RISK !! dO IT ONCE AND DO IT PROPERLY !! DRAIN THE TANK !!:!:

MY FATHER MADE A WATER SEPARATOR WITH A 1 LITER PRESERVING JAR AND 2 PIPES SOLDERED INTO THE TOP !! cut the line and fitted it and just kept a eye on the bottle !! for the next couple of weeks !! was only ever a cup full !!! but ended up adding a extra filter where the line had been cut !!

 

ok .... please identify small amount .... actually i also forget to tell u that this is my 1st boat ... and i think that even handling 1 liter of petrol is not safe .... well .... i know my questions sounds like beginners questions so please bear with me ....