[Codger]

Anyone with any experience dealing with offshore bunkering?
Aside from the politics and economics/tax implications..
Safety issues? Fuel line couplers? Insurance implications?

[ychtcptn]

Do yourself a favor and contact one of the fuel bunkering services, I recommend either Global Yacht fuel or National Marine. I used this type of service for years while traveling the med and carib and really made my life easier.
If you have a standard perko type fuel fill that the hose nozzle goes into, get your self a threaded pipe that fits into the fill and have the ability to attach an 1.5" or 2" cam lock fitting of the male type. I would also have a the ability to attach a peice of flexible 2' hose as well, sometimes they have a pipe nozzle that will not fit very far into the perko connection.
Usually while filling off a truck they will have this type of fitting, sometimes and yacht areas like Ft. Laud. they will have a regular hose nozzle but in foreign countries it usually a can lock fitting.

[Codger]

Thanks.
Guess that I wasn't specific enough. Looking more at bunkering when out at sea, miles away from port.
As to the couplings, there has always been a variety in use on shore. Is there actually a standard fitting that the industry is moving to world-wide, or will there always be "been using this for years' so no need to change :-)

[Loren Schweizer]

Some years ago, a client invited me to go fishing on a Buddy Davis moored in Pinas Bay, Panama, which is close to the Colombian border and out in the middle of nowhere. We flew in and were dugout-canoed to our boat, then later that afternoon motored on over to the "Madam" ( "Madam" & "The Hooker" were a large supply vessel--the mothership-- and G&S 50' sportfish, respectively). My guy knew the owner or captain, evidently, and we took on quite a load of fuel with equipment looking like it was from your local fuel dock: no drama.

Codger, I don't know what boat you were planning on doing this with---bunkering offshore---but I believe with a bit of planning in advance with someone you know who has a 'large' ( bigger than yours ) yacht equipped with a fuel transfer pump & typical nozzle, why not.

Of course, anyone who has had to transfer fuel from a bladder or apple juice drum to their own deck-fill in anything less than 'millpond' conditions knows this to generally be a fairly nasty job.