Running out of gas / Storing gas in the boat

Now that I have an 01' X-Star (love the boat by the way), I've run out of gas 3 times. I cant believe how much that thing drinks.

My first question is, is it real bad to run out of gas and have the engine just quit on you? This happened the first time and the other two I heard it start to sputter and just killed it then.

My second question is, Im now thinking about keeping two 6 gallon gas tanks filled with 5 gallons of gas in the back next to the ballast tanks. Does anyone else do this? With the summer heat and all, do you think that will be real dangerous?

Thanks in advance.
Mike

I wouldn't recommend it but I'm not sure if there is any real risk other you would want to keep the cap cracked a bit or have a vent so pressure doesn't build up in the spare tanks and then you run into the problem of them spilling on your carpet.

Running a fuel injected motor out of gas isn't the best thing to be doing but if it happens turn the key on and let the guages cycle several times without trying to crank the motor. This will prime the injectors with gas again after you fill it back up... Should start and run fine.

I'm assuming your going to store them in the trunk on either side of the motor. Make sure your life insurance is up to date and that the people who ride in your boat sign a waiver, so that when it blows up you wont be held liable.

Do you have a truck? Use a cable and lock them to something in the back with the vent open.

Think about what you want to do and if the risk is worth the consequence then go for it.

Yeah, having gas cans in the boat doesn't sound like a good idea even though the level of risk seems relatively low. Doesn't your gas gauge work...or did you mis-judge the gas needed for the trip back to the dock?

Hey BBeach...question...should I let my guages "cycle" before starting?
I always wondered about that. I've got an '02 MC with the 5.7 liter Vortec 351 TBI.

It may sound dumb, but...

How about getting a spare fuel tank and venting it properly? You can pick up 20 gal tanks for under two hundred. They're about 20"x20"x20 and have different shapes and sizes. Check West Marine or Overton's.

That would seem to be a safer way to store extra fuel. Kind of like the reserve tanks on some trucks.

Im not sure I understand you Matt. What I am wanting to do is put some tanks in the boat that have vents.

To answer the gas guage question, the boat is new to me and the needle doesnt seem too stable. It will say 1/4 tank when im sitting idle but as soon as I plane out it hits 1/8, from there I can literally watch it move down to E slowly and then it takes a dump.

What sucks about where I slip is that the only nearby gas dock is only open till 3:30. They are trying to hire summer help (Im about to apply!) and I go out mostly after work. Not to mention the spot where I board is a good 10 minute ride from my slip (thats what sucks on a river vs. lake)

Thanks for everyones tips though. If anyone else out there owns an X-Star, do you have any metrics on how long you can ride on a full tank of gas? I seem to get around 6 hours of pretty much non-stop boarding. Does that sound accurate?

The tanks I'm talking about aren't the usual Out Board 6 gallon removable tanks.

They are aux tanks that can be "t"d into the fuel system. They can be vented to the outside for filling.

Fill it up on the weekend when you are done for the day. Then take a couple of 6 gallon cans down everytime you go out during the week. Fill up the boat and then lock them to the dock with a cable. Just make sure they are empty or they might grow legs. If you replace a little bit at a time you should be able to make it to the weekend and the next fill up. Not a great way to do it but it would work.

I use 5 gallons to the hour on my MC 205 boat, I have a 30 gallon tank. Once I get to 5 hours I need to start looking for a gas station.

i wouldn't do the gas can thing.

you can buy a flow meter that hooks up to your fuel line, they aren't cheap and aren't necessarily 100% accurate.

why not just head in after 5 hours and get more gas? i'd say it's part of the learning curve with any boat. my gauge is bad, too.

with mine, when i hear the first sputter i lift the throttle and don't go any faster than in-gear idle. i can go for at least 30 mins like that, if i try to get on plane it'll die and might not start again. kind of a built-in reserve. of course, i learned this the hard way but now i know.

Yeah, I think Ill just plan on fueling up each time I go out. I was used to my old SeaRay where I could get 2 or 3 days out on a tank Those I/O days are gone....but who's complaining.

Good to know about the idle trick. I did that last evening but didnt know how long it would go on idle. I stopped by a private dock and begged for gas anyway. Good to have nice people along the river.

Yes let the gauages cycle first then shut it back off and do it again... let the whole thing cycle 2-3 times and then there should be enough gas pulled through the line to fire the boat without any cranking...

I usually split the difference with my gauge. If it wiggles between 1/2 and E, then I assume I have 1/4 etc... I was advised of this by my dealer, and I've never run out since... if you gauge is wiggling between E and 1/4, it's time to get gas. (i'm knocking on some wood)

Do you start with a full tank every day?

I carry a small 2 gallon gas can on my boat to save me if we run out. It is just enough to get me to the gas station on the water.

I am careful to keep the gas can out in the open and out of the sun - I put it between the drivers seat and the inside wall.

I also do not leave the gas on the boat when it is stored. You need to be very very careful with gas fumes - you don't want to be a fuel-air bomb.

From what I understand, the fumes are heavier than air, so any leak could fill you bilge with explosive material and any spark could mean the end of your life.

(Message edited by greatdane on May 21, 2004)

I used to carry a small gas can (I think in was 1 gallon) under one of the bow cushions in my i/o. I learned the hard way that it wasn't enough....after running out of gas, the added gas was not enough to get the boat started. This was a carbed engine, but I think the real problem was that the attitude of the boat on plane really can drain the tank to almost nothing.

Now that I have a vlx, I use so much more gas. I don't even bother getting too low, cause I know I eat right through it.

(Message edited by bobbymucic on May 21, 2004)

There is a specific type of fuel'ish product that is made to be stored inside a vehicle (like the trunk of a car) but I've yet to use it. Mine came in 1 gal. jugs and it says that you need to get it in the tank and drive w/ the engine still hot or it will not burn very well. You can usually find it at an autoparts store. Anyone have experience w/ this stuff?

You may also want to have a look at your gas tank if you can see it? Depending on where the hose pickup is that will tell you how to get the most out of the tank. If you're sputtering...it may be best to load up the weight in the back on one specific side to get the gas to run to the pickup area? I know some people have to put all the weight to the back and maybe even sit on the swim step to get the most out of the tank an idle back to the dock. I've seen people post the amount of fuel to distance ratio and you get FAR more distance at idle speed.

Go get a Calabria Pro-V with a 65 Gallon gas tank. Don't worry about running out during the day.

Yeah, that's good...get a boat based on the size of the gas tank. Shut up, Laci!

carrying gas around in a portable can/tank is an invitation to disaster. And don't take the advice of leaving the vent cracked open, that is assuring that you will have a problem.

The last thing that you want is to have gas fumes getting into the bottom of your boat. If you take a gas can, put it in your locker, shake it up real good and get it good and hot in the afternoon sun, it will leak, I guarantee it. The only place the fumes can go is into the bottom of the boat.

If you have replaced the starter with the much cheaper automotive one or put on a high output alternator that wasn't marine rated then you have the three elements needed for an explosion: fuel, air and spark.

It shouldn't be that hard to learn how to read your gas gauge. If you are not sure, lift the seats or whatever until you can see the gas tank and get a visual indication of how much gas you have.

If you are serious about having a "reserve" then you should either add another tank (with a proper overboard vent) or have your existing tank modified to provide a second fuel pickup. If the dip tube of the new fuel pickup is a little bit shorter than the standard pick up it will run out first. A simple gas valve that selects between the two pickups will give you the reserve function (just be sure to switch back to the short pickup after you fill up)

I don't think I've ever seen a boat that has an accurate gas guage. If you go out for the evening there is no way you should ever run out of gas. It take me a full 12 hour day on the water to run mine dry. If you can't tell how much gas you have why don't you pop off the middle cover where you're drain plug is. You should be able to see the gas tank from there and you can tell how much gas you have that way.

Michael, that's what I get in my boat when it's weighted (MC X5) - about 6 hours straight run time, or like Face Planter said about 5 gallons an hour. $$$$$$

Ive been just adding around 20 gallons every time I go out and have been fine. Ive accepted the fact that it costs a small fortune to run this boat. Especially since Im out probably 4-5 evenings a week. I didnt know this trick about actually seeing the gas tank. Not sure I know exactly what youre talking about. My center drain plug is underneath the ballast. Ive never noticed that I could see into the gas tank by removing any of the covers. I play to check with a little more detail this evening.

Michael - I know exactly what you're talking about. I have a 2000 X-Star (have only had it for a couple of months) and have run out of gas twice. You're right about the gas gauge being very inaccurate. Mine will read over a 1/4 of a tank and then instantly drop down to empty. Now I just try to fill up everytime I go out. If I don't have a chance to fill up, I will unscrew the access cover for the bilge and manually look at the level of gas in the tank.

It's funny that you mentioned never having this problem in your SeaRay. I also previously had a SeaRay, and never had this problem.

One reason that boats tend to have whacky gas gauges is because they fit the tank to the shape of the hull.

A gas gauge works properly if the tank is a rectangle (hmm... rectangle is not the proper term, it is a 2 demensional figure, but you get the idea).

It is common for the bottom of the tank to be angled to fit the angle of the hull. An inch of depth at the top can represent a lot more volume than the last inch in the tank. The guage can't compensate for this, so you just have to learn that 1/4 tank means that you are almost empty.