DSK wrote:
Scout wrote:


Doug,
I had a friend who told me they use sea water as ballast on bigger ships in
the navy, possibly CG.


All Navy ships have the capability of ballasting with sea water, not just
"bigger ships."

In fact the newer gas turbine powered combatants *have* to be ballasted because
there is no heavy boiler mounted down low in the hull. Their fuel storage tanks
have a system that lets in seawater to the bottom of the tank as the fuel is
sucked from the top.

G Guess I need to clarify my statements.
For Navy combatants, see DSK's above.
For the majority of commercial, salt water ballast is kept separate from
fuel tanks, so that any water in the fuel tanks comes about the same way
as water in a small boats tanks. The fuel (#6, HFO, Bunker C ... all
names for the same BASIC stuff) is transferred from storage tanks to
settler tanks, then run through purifers/filters and pumped to day tanks
(been awhile, so the engineers can correct my errors). DFO/MDO (diesel)
is handled in much the same way.
On most newer ships, these tanks will never be used for sal****er ballast.
In the past, commercial ships used their double bottoms for fuel (always
got a kick outa this, after everyone started hollerin for DB's on
tankers cause freighters had them) and ballast, once the fuel had been
pumped out.
Where this practice was/is done, the tanks are "decanted" of water to a
level close to, but not at, the oil/water interface, prior to filling
with fuel again.
As you can imagine, this can lead to pumping amounts of oil overboard if
things don't go exactly right. Now, this might be acceptable for the
Navy, due to their operating parameters, but it will get a commercial
ship in a world of hurt .... and not being active Navy, I can't speak
for how well they do and how well their systems are designed to handle this.
The biggest problem with 6 oil when doing this, is that it is very close
to the weight of sal****er and the oil/water interface is not always
well defined.

otn

Newport News for two more weeks. Then back to Seattle and Port Townsend for
a month of schools and upgrades (200 ton and oceans with radar endorsement).
A couple of weeks working on the new boat etc. My good friends up in the
Pac NW area have been more than supportive in many ways. In fact a lot of
good friends up and down the coast fit that category. Then back to sea for
the last go round before I switch from diesels back to sails. Had a couple
of good offers in the long term charter skipper business and the delivery
business. The real key though is the upgrades I mentioned, especially going
from near coastal to oceans. Lot of difference, especially where insurance
companies concerned between the two. I think I can squeeze those jobs in
between going hither and yon and writing about it (my basic plan). For now
though I'm going to remain true, get the new boat done and it's turning into
a real gem!

Don't know if you read it elsewhere but if things go completely right I'm
trucking the boat to the Great Lakes, down the St. Lawrence, round the
corner and will be right by your bailiwick early next Summer. Then down
the coast to the islands and on, eventually, to Bequia back west and
eventually NW to Corpus and truck to San Diego. All part of an article I'm
doing for one of the magazines. Then lay over the summer in S. Cal with
some other friends awaiting the end of the storm season and on down to the
S.Pacific without the usual ho hum stops in Mexico again. That place is like
California without trees and after awhile it's just bribes and booze. If
things don't go well time wise then I'll just head South, hang a while at my
slip in California and go into the next, the Pacific part a bit early then
return back and do the East Coast trip a bit later. Either way it works for
me. The Pacific part? I'm thinking Juan Fernandez Islands off Chile and
just about have my good sailing buddy Kai talked into to doing that part
especially since it goes right by Easter Island. THEN back up to Hawaii
where he has his boat and re-create the voyage of the schooner Pau! At Samoa
where we stopped the last time I can go in acouple of directions, doesn't
matter. Lots of good things to write about just in this one paragraph.
I'm getting more into the idea of doing interesting alternatives to the
usual, everyone's done it a thousand times trips I guess. Too much panicky
deck fluff and overweight bar bunnies for me. You know . . .sail down wind,
truck up wind? Mights well watch reality TV. I guess I shouldn't be too
hard. Some can, some won't.

Don't know if you saw it or not but check the May issue of Lats and Att's
for an article called View From The Bridge. That's my first one. Next
article will be to the editor around theend of the month and we'll see if
lightning strikes twice. Actually, they asked for more!

Little surprise here and there my good buddy and someone many of you know,
the original skipper and creator of the Pau voyage has steered me in
theright direction with invaluable advice and editing. In a former life he
was a professional writer as it happens. And I might's well toot Ole Thom's
praises as well as this next article was caused by something he started
teaching me some years ago. Yep! I paid attention. It's called Emergency
Navigation for Yacht Crews as a working title. Not for the GPS and
Martooni set that's for sure. Just wind, waves, stars and fingers. Lucky I
have a few left!

'nuff of this . . . . Here's a question for you to pose.

What's a Seattle Head?

Cheers

Michael







"Bart Senior" wrote in message
et...
Good Michael. How are you doing?

Where are you now?

Michael wrote
I made a point of not reading the answers of the others but using this
as
a
good method to segue back into .asa.

Day Tank is one used for water or fuel. You have to fill it with the
amount
you want to use, per your rationing requirements. When it runs out you
are
done for that day.

How'd I do?

Michael

"Bart Senior" wrote
[3 pts]

What is a day tank?

How is it used?

Why would you want one?

Good Michael. How are you doing?

Where are you now?

Michael wrote
I made a point of not reading the answers of the others but using this as
a
good method to segue back into .asa.

Day Tank is one used for water or fuel. You have to fill it with the
amount
you want to use, per your rationing requirements. When it runs out you
are
done for that day.

How'd I do?

Michael

"Bart Senior" wrote
[3 pts]

What is a day tank?

How is it used?

Why would you want one?

I don't think having a feed hose connected is de riguer for a day tank. As
I recall when the term is used for daily water ration it is often described
as something as simple as a one gallon jug. In the case of Thom's OB tank
however there would have to be another, presumably larger main tank
involved. If the OB tank was the only one on board then it wouldn't be the
day tank but the main fuel supply. Perhaps a betterway to describe that
would be using a five gallon fuel can (main tank) and the little tank atop
something like a SeaGull. If you stated that was your daily ration then it
would be a day tank. No feed line involved but the resulting spills would
surely get seventeen agencies gathered round for a MARPOL violation!

No points needed. I'm giving Katy a chance to catch up for the next month
at least!

M.

"Bart Senior" wrote in message
. ..
To answer your question, I'd say no, because there is no
other tank feeding it. Certainly the opposite viewpoint
could be argued.

Thank you Thom, because you just gave me the solution
to a problem. An outboard tank could be modified to be
used as a day tank for a diesel engine and give you a fuel
gauge too!

I can't think of any sailboats I've sailed that had a fuel gauge.
Most of the time I've banged on tanks and judged by sound
or used a measuring stick.

Even without a gauge, a red plastic outboard fuel tank is
translucent enough to judge ift you have enough fuel
to prevent the hassle of bleeding a diesel fuel system.

I've been thinking about mounting a day tank in ECHO and
you just gave me the cheap solution I was looking for! I
just need to figure out how and where to mount one.

Thom Stewart wrote

Question Bart?

Would you consider the remote fuel tank on an Outboard Aux a day tank?

Ole Thom

I'll guess and say it's a board with a hole cut in it.

Michael wrote

What's a Seattle Head?

Question Bart?

Would you consider the remote fuel tank on an Outboard Aux a day tank?

Ole Thom

To answer your question, I'd say no, because there is no
other tank feeding it. Certainly the opposite viewpoint
could be argued.

Thank you Thom, because you just gave me the solution
to a problem. An outboard tank could be modified to be
used as a day tank for a diesel engine and give you a fuel
gauge too!

I can't think of any sailboats I've sailed that had a fuel gauge.
Most of the time I've banged on tanks and judged by sound
or used a measuring stick.

Even without a gauge, a red plastic outboard fuel tank is
translucent enough to judge ift you have enough fuel
to prevent the hassle of bleeding a diesel fuel system.

I've been thinking about mounting a day tank in ECHO and
you just gave me the cheap solution I was looking for! I
just need to figure out how and where to mount one.

Thom Stewart wrote

Question Bart?

Would you consider the remote fuel tank on an Outboard Aux a day tank?

Ole Thom