Common boater's mistake?
 

I am guessing this is more common than you would think.

PORT SALERNO - Members of the Martin County Fire Rescue Hazmat team responded to a fuel clean-up Tuesday morning after a boater pumped gasoline into his fishing rod holder instead of his gas tank.

The boater pumped about 100 gallons of gasoline at the Finest Kind Marina fuel dock before he noticed the problem, but only about 15 gallons polluted the water, marina employees said.

The rest of the gasoline seeped into the boat's bilge tank, witnesses said.

The man's fishing boat was towed from the fuel dock to Sandsprit Park so Hazmat officials could secure the fuel, said Jeff Alter, Fire Rescue bureau chief.




Marina employees said it's not uncommon to see boaters pump fuel into fishing rod holders because the holder is often close to the fuel tank hole.

:eek: I have never ever heard of that before.

Probably had a beer in his hand.
:angry-smiley-038:

I have heard of people pumping the fuel into the fresh water tank but never a rod holder.

Common?

Maybe for this guy...

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...89/headass.jpg

My Stupid Azz Brother Inlaw Did It In My Boat But I Just Happen To Turn Around And See Him And Yelled Stop. Thank God Only About A Gal Went In The Bilge. Never Again.

I had never heard of this before, but the marina employees said it is not that uncommon. Might be a good marina to stay away from.

Never would happen on my boat................ NO ROD HOLDERS!

If happens often enough, my cousin worked at a NE Yacht Club and once a season someone would do something stupid at the fuel dock. Gas/ Diesel mix up, rod holder fill up, etc.

Guy today lost $500 in fuel, his ego and probably got a nice bill from the hazmat team!

well that was a 500 dollar lesson!

Yep, putting in deisel instead of regular gas.....but sometimes that can be the attendants fault.

I pumped 50+ gals into the freshwater tank of a Sea Ray about 10 years ago. Holy Chit what a mess

Last season where I get gas the Marina pumped 150 gallon of gas into the water tank of a 40ft cruzer in front of me. Just got there when they were trying to figure out what to do other then give the guy his money back. Cant imaging that fresh water will taste good any time soon.

Funny thing is I almost understand because my gas cap and water cap look identical - so I see how the mistake could be made if your not filling your own boat.

Worked on a gas dock for seven years when I was younger. That would happen all the time in the old Chris Crafts. The flag holder was in the rear with the fuel fill and saw many an owner fill the wrong hole. Many people on the boat, beer in hand, what a mess.
At Channel Marina at the Weirs channel in NH the dock boy filled the bilge and it then went onto the cabin floor. He then went and got a shop vac and guess what happened. He was lucky to live after that one.

A cruiser here in central NY filled his water tankwith gas. Somone flushed a toilet, fumes filled the boat. He continued to drive it and it blew up in a lock on the Erie canal. Lucky for him it was a flybridge, he and his wife were blown out, just had broken legs if I remember right.

A buddy put 40 gallons in his fresh water tank 10 years ago......took all summer of flushing to get that smell/taste out of that water.

I've heard of it happening around here about once a year.

Hymmmmmm

More common than I would have thought.

It is more common than one would think, a mistake people usually make just one time. Just be glad no one was smoking on the boat.:angry-smiley-038:

My son accidently pumped gas into a rod holder on an old Mako I once owned. The fuel fill was located flush and about one foot ahead of a rod holder. The boat was on a trailer and I had removed the fuel fill cap and he reached up and inserted the filler nozzle into the rod holder and started pumping. Fortunatly I looked and sensed something was wrong and stopped him. About a half gallon was pumped through the rod holder and onto the deck. Fortunatly with a glass liner and scuppers we washed the gas out and aired everything out while pulling the trailer about 70 mph.
I've heard of people pumping huge quantities of diesel into rod holders on big sportfisher.
ed

I was on am express cruiser making the Lake Charles run about ten years ago, the skipper pumped the gas at 6am and was wondering aloud why it only held forty gallons. ( he had very similar metal fillers about 10" apart)

When we got to Orange around 11am we went for a swim, first girl back on the boat uses the stern shower and pumps gas all over her.

gas was in the ice-makers too. Had to remove the fresh water tank, both fridges, water heater and most of the lines.

I consider myself very lucky to have made it off that boat that day

This happens all the time...On my boat I had a friend try to fill up my rod holder...I tounge lashed him the rest of the day....Years later my friends father successfully filled up his holding tank until his chitter filled up and over flowed. I guess stupity runs in the family:D

LOL:D

It happened to a freind with a Bertram. Young dock boy put 50 gallons of fuel in the rod holder. I think it cost the marina about 10K before it was done.

Years ago a guy in our club had a new 32' Baja. Pulled up at the gas dock, told his girlfriend to start pumping gas while he went to give his credit card to the cashier. She pumped 100 gallons of gas into his waste pump out. He didn't realize it until he hopped in to check the gauge and saw the pillows floating in the cabin.

Insurance totaled it out but the funny part was the boat showed up for sale at a dealer in Texas a few years later. I called and asked a bunch of questions about it and when the salesman was really warmed up I asked if they managed to get the gas smell out. He was still stuttering when I got off the phone. :D

Remind me to stay at least 100 yards away from all fuel docks unless I'm actually fueling my boat. Even then, I'm going to start wearing my life vest in case someone else at the dock pulls one of these stunts and blows me overboard...

This is scary. It's also why it's now required that the actual reciever flange that is bolted to the boat (NOT the cap!) be labeled "Gas", "Diesel", "Waste", etc.....