Question about paying for fuel.

Hi Milo12,

Many times In the Med the Bahamas and the Caribbean I paid with 2 credit cards and in some places we had to run each card twice.

I'm running Red Frog Marina in Panama now and most of the time for 5,000 gallons or more the yacht makes a reservation ahead of time and sends a wire transfer. If there is a difference to their favor we credit back to them on one of their credit cards or if they go over the wire amount they pay the difference on a credit card.
Even in remote areas where there is a bulk fueling facility there is an internet signal available for credit card function. We haven't had any negative issues here with credit cards.

Below is 165' Azteca 2 at the Red Frog Marina Fuel Dock taking on 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

We either use a bunkering agent (who we have a line of credit with) or a credit card.

Hi,

We only use a bunker agent we have a prior arrangement with owing to the quantities we load.

Gasoline for toys is paid for as required either by Cash, on Dockage Bill or Credit Card.

Thats the reason, why larger yachts (and ships) are suppost to have a land base office or a contract with a yacht (ships) management company, which is doing most of the organizing for them (booking of docking space, fuel, provisions, repair, visa, etc.). This will help the skipper on concentrating on his main job (save navigation and operation of the ship) and assure the downsizing of the ships "warchest", just to allow the chef or chief to go shopping locally and to have some emergency funds for the skipper for the ordinary little "catastrophy" . Thanks god, we live in modern times, that bigger loads of money can be wired to almost any place in world within hours.

On A nordhavn your fuel stops would be a lot fewer and further between than your average yacht the same size that is moving around. I would think that a lot of it could be done with credit cards. However, I know of several places in the Bahamas and Carribbean that charge a 5% fee for credit cards, so cash is still preferable. BUT, if you know where your stop is going to be and it's a reputable place you could calculate about what you're going to take a wire transfer it ahead of time and take care of the small balance by credit card or cash.

Alpha Laval!!

In the past year, I've taken probably around 100,000 gallons of fuel all over the US and the Bahamas. I have not come across any dirty fuel at all, or fuel with any water in it. I've come across some boats that had lots of Algae in the tank to start with.

You also need to know how to use an Alpha Laval and adjust for the specific gravity of the fuel you have. But it would be a good thing to have on an Expedition yacht.

Hi,

If the fuel didn't have water in it to start with the algae wouldn't flourish.

Also, if you are changing the GD in a FO Pury you are either loading the wrong stuff or waiting till the actual SG is obtained by FOBAS or equal to make your GD size call.

Not what I see as SOP on the vessels you are involved with.

We tend to travel a little further abroad (currently in the Cyclades) and come across all types of fuel contaminates.

Hi,

I have never seen one used for bunkering, nothing t say it couldn't be done but the throughput would be slow.

They are generally used to re circulate fuel and get the water and any solids out by the differing SG.

Read how one works here:How Alfa Laval oil separator works

It's mainly used for polishing from the main tanks to the day tank. I had one of the smaller ones on a 90'. It was great when it was new, but some of the parts that need cleaning and servicing on a regular basis are made of plastic and the little catches and locks wear and break off. A real PITA.

I would still have one, the amount of junk they remove is remarkable, but I'd have a few of the parts made in stainless rather than plastic.

My card got denied at a self serve fuel dock in Portland Maine a few years ago.

When I called the credit card company they said, it triggered a fraud alert because it was way too much fuel to use at a self serve fuel station.

I told them it was a fuel dock, not a fuel station and they turned the card back on.