Gogarty wrote:
....
Now, why can't boat diesel engines be set up like that? I live in terror
of the boat engine sucking air becaise it will stop and bleeding the
system in a seaway or even at the dock is an exercize in contortion and I
don't pretzileize so well anymore.


My old Westerbeke was self bleeding. My new Yanmars aren't, but I've
never had a problem with them; they don't seem to need bleeding even
after changing the fuel filter.