Debris and Sludge

Now that the fuel lines were cleared and new filters were installed, we had to "clean" the tanks of debris and sludge. This is what clogged the pipes and filters. The rough seas caused Brio to rock and roll so much that it stirred this stuff up from the bottoms of the tanks. As Brio drank more and more fuel, the concentration of debris rose and the probability of picking up debris and sludge increased. So now we had to try to get as much of the debris out of both tanks as we could.

The tank cleaning service arrived around 8:30.

But before we go any further, here's some comic relief from sludge and debris. This video shows a baby gull pestering its mother gull to feed it. It has been doing this for the few days we've been here. It would seem that Mom thinks it's time for Junior to feed itself.

The machine was so simple.

And the front:

The sidekick, Clem, got down into the engine room and opened the top of the tank. He put the stiff orange tube down into the tank after attaching it to the tube. The fuel and debris got sucked out and it flowed back to this device. It ran through a 40-micron filter and then a 2-micron filter and then back into the tank's fill pipe as "polished" fuel. The debris got cleaned out as it passed through the filters.

Here are pictures of the debris and the sludge.

Bits of Broken-Up Gasket Material

Sludge and Algae Sucked up from the Bottom of the Starboard Tank

This was the stuff that got stirred up during the rough crossing. And now it was out of the tanks.

This was wonderful!

Once this was done, Brio's bilge got cleaned and all of the parts and equipment were put back in their place.

Tomorrow morning, we fill the fuel tanks. Brio should take about 400 gallons.

Then, after fueling, we leave to go to the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula. After rounding the tip, we enter Chesapeake Bay and begin our voyage north. Our first stop will be the York River and Yorktown.

Cheers,

Brio