Parallax wrote:

When i bought my boat, it was 10 yrs old and even then the fuel
sending unit didn't work. Over the years, I have replaced it 4 times
and it has NEVER worked right. Those damned sending units are such
crappy technology...electrical/resistive/ mechanical/floating going to
a meter, and they really expect this to work for any length of time on
a boat? So....
Useless idea #3741 (I am really going to try this one)

Take two pieces of flexible tubing maybe 1/2" diameter filled with
hydraulic fluid connedcted to a T. The base of the T has a 1/4" clear
hose going up to where it is visible in the cockpit. The two pieces
of 1/2" hose support the fuel tank whose weight compresses the fluid
causing it to rise. As the tank empties, the level in the clear
tubing falls. So, it is really measuring weight. But, no
electricity, no moving parts (except the fluid) and absolute
simplicity. Now, the problem, most fuel tanks are fastened down
firmly so when this thing is installed, it must be able to move a tiny
amount up and down (maybe should use 1/8" clear tubing).

Maybe could use 20 feet of heater hose flaked out under the tank,
and a weighted runout gague indicator on the condom on the other
end? A Thermostat could maintain the internal gas temperature,
and a barometric interpolation correction scale could be
permanently mounted beside the dial? A heel angle correction
would then be required, but with some throttle position sender
units and pendulums, all using regulated power from a battery
powered invertor could run a lap top with rs-232 inputs and
dc-serial digital interfaces to calculate the fuel efficiency
despite inaccurate fuel weight indications, even dithered from
clocked measurement cycle times calcutated from pitch, roll and
yaw pendulums, integrated with vertical accelleration indications
from the vector sum of the 5 sided system of pneumostatic
sensors, it should be about a five module machine code speed core
to enable useful measurements to be integrated with the gps
input. A seek and find shore concious routing algorithm would
enable automatic waypoint inputs and autopilot control to the
next most economical diesel or gas fuel vendor on the satellite
web, considering calculated true wind and current data. The
minute charges are more expensive than the stabilised satellite
tracker mortgage interest. Uplink data costs are ruinous!

I prefer a self tending club boom jib, and bungee on the tiller.
I don't need a dipstick, anymore.

A mercury switch sounds an alarm when it blows hard enough that
she tacks and wants reefing. In a hammock, who could tell?

Or, install and maintain an x-junkyard automotive float sender
like the one I scraped clean in my boat after 20 years of service
and now only requires that it match the cheapo replacement gague
installed by the last idiot owner to indicate properly? I know
what the inverted, shortened scale indications mean, so who
cares? I only spent 8 bucks on boat gas last season. Needed a tow
back on that, the one and only trip where I blew a head gasket
neccessitating an overnight stay at a dock near a Hell's Angels
midnight wedding in a graveyard. The gasket had been recently
replace by a mechanic (?) of a certain imperious culture. Good
thing too, as he left out a ball bearing in the oil pump too,
lost it into the main bearing gallery, but luckily it didn't fit
between the big balls. Fixed it with the head gasket. Stopped
that annoying ticking and raised the oil pressure. Got a tow
free, from a stranger, in New Brunswick on the Saint John River.
Sail the reversing falls! Enter Valhallah.

Bed and breakfast, cheap! Cottage, 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 500 feet of
private beach, solitary and private nudist mountain back yard,
classic f/g 29' TylerCraft sloop, dinghy, 500 bucks a week, meals
and (2 free) airport pickups included. Liquor, vehicle rental
extra. Private security service. Leave your phone number or email
addy here,

(
),

if you want a reservation. Prices rise, soon! Damage deposit
required. Only properly filled out forms will be scrutinised.
Moderation in many things, I sometimes suggest.

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