Dan Best wrote:

Larry W4CSC wrote:
On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 14:12:51 -0800, "Steve" wrote:
Sorry you destroyed your engine. I always found the pumps clearly
marked.

A number of years ago on our way down the coast in our Atomic-4 powered
Catalina 30, we stopped at Morrow Bay for fuel. The fuel dock there is
a VERY high one, maybe 8 or 9 feet above the water and I asked the
attendant to "Hand me down the unleaded". After filling my tank, I was
up in the office as he filled out the reciept, I saw him write "16 gal.
Diesel" and corrected him, telling him that it was unleaded. He said
"No, it was diesel". When I insisted that it was unleaded, he said
"Look, all we sell here is diesel. We don't have any gas pumps".

Oops!

Doesn't that remind you of the urban legend about the lighthouse
keeper and the arrogant aircraft carrier commander arguing on the
radiotelephone about who should change course?

Doesn't one need a certain arrogance to rise to the position of flat
top commander? What kind of personality does it take to be a
lighthouse driver? Do they share a stoic sense of duty?

If the compression, lube oil pressure, fuel pump and injectors are
still good enough, or can be made good enough to run the engine
smoothly without clanking noises, change out the bad fuel for real
diesel, and it might run ok for some time. Only a teardown and
qualified mech can assess subtle and hidden damage before
performance losses prove that engine life has been shortened.

You will need the invoice for the completed work, and evidence that
the gas jerk mis-fuelled you, entirely without your negligence,
before a judge would award you all of the damages. It likely won't
be in a small claims court.

How was your insurance at the time of trouble? Document the
incident. It won't come to justice until the damage is demonstrable.
Your insurance co. would take them to court after the claim, to
recover their costs if you are covered. If not, it will be you and
your lawyer against the world. Perhaps some partial settlement in
lieu of a court battle?

To tear down or not is the question. How well will you sleep at sea
near mid ocean with a suspect engine? What would it take to restore
your confidence?

Loss of enjoyment of your boat itself constitutes damage, equivalent
to reducing the value of your boat to zero, or by the amount
required to regain confidence in it again. Ephemeral damages like
that are very dodgy to quantify, unless you get lucky and find
yourself before a judge who is rabidly avid about sailing.



Terry K