Fuel deck fill

[S/V AMITY]

  While on AMITY yesterday doing some finish-up torquing of the re-bedded stanchion basis, my eye wandered over to the ill-placed fuel fill plate in the stbd. waterway.  With all the discussions regarding water in fuel, seems to me one of the best ways to mitigate the problem for our boats is to sort out a way of keeping the fill plate clear of over-running waterway water as much as possible.  The only seal keeping water out of the fuel tank is a $.35 o-ring. If it is submerged over any length of time the chances of water getting by it are increased. Not good and a poor design.

  Possibly the simplest way to keep waterway water clear of the fill plate would be to install a 1" to 1 1/2" tall fill standpipe.  The existing location of the fill is well clear of foot traffic and could accept the standpipe without any safety impact.

  Any thoughts? 

[SVJourney]

While you are in the fiberglass and fill mode.  Glass it over and move it on top of the cockpit coaming?
 
Journey's was relocated to the cockpit floor where most people have their unreadable sight gauge.  It worked and was seldom wet.  Bonus was I could dipstick the tank to check level.  Bummer was dragging the hose through the cockpit.

[S/V AMITY]

  Cockpit coaming has sacred, newly re-finished teak... oh the horrors of taking a hole saw to it...
On the other hand, your solution is a sound & practical one.  If I do it I will have to learn to be ruthless regarding teak.

Thanks Journey!

[jpendoley]

I vote for a fuel fill in the cockpit floor with a standpipe and cap on the pipe beneath the floor-fool proof with no cance of water intrusion.

[S/V AMITY]

Good morning jpendoley... If I read you correctly, we'd substitute the cockpit sole fuel gauge viewing port for a flush deck plate then have the fuel fill pipe & cap under that?

[jpendoley]

Not sure what a cockpit fuel gauge viewing port is; what I have is a common plastic Beckson four inch or so gasketed screw on plate in the cockpit floor which is directly over a 11/2"Fuel fill standpipe that is screwed into my tank. The stainless standpipe has a screw on hat cap. If water got by the cockpit plate it would be shed by the standpipe hat and drain into the bilge. It also allows dipping the tank to measure fuel level. The tank is a new aluminum tank I had built to P69s design. I could have specified any type of fill when I had this tank built-my old tank had the same arrangement and it is fool proof. No gauge-just a dip stick. Seemed like an effective gauge would have cost at least $600 bucks for somewhat dubious reliability. An aluminum cover plate would be a bit more durable than a plastic port and I might upgrade that someday if the plastic one ever gets leaky.

[S/V AMITY]

  My description was written poorly... the viewing port I have is the factory clear screw-in plate just like yours.  My fuel tank was replaced in 2005 and an electric fuel gauge was fitted so the cockpit sole screw-in plate now has no function.  Also, the fuel fill fitting on the tank is not under the port anymore.