Planning on purchasing a 2002 52SS and understand it has 5 fuel tanks and 2 fuel gages. Can anyone explain how this system works? Can't have separate port and starboard systems with an odd number of tanks. Why 2 gages?
While I don't know the exact answer to your question. I have seen Ocean Yachts have a stbd and port saddle tank in the engine room connected to a center tank under the engine room floor......All 3 tanks were joined together and the saddles gravity fed into the center tank (that everything drew off of). So you'd only need 1 gauge and that's all the 3 had for all 3 tanks.......So chances are they have a similar arrangement, 1 for aft tanks, 1 for bow tanks.
Hi, There indeed 5 tanks. Each Saddle in the engine room is about 265. A deck fill on each side fills each tank. Both saddle tanks gravity feed to the forward tanks. Each supply feeds the dentral day tank and an 100 gallon saddle tank on each side. All fuel feeds from central forward tank to a manifold in the engine room that then supplies main engines and generator. I hope that helps.
Thank you. Helps but do you know what the fuel gauges are measuring? There are two of them. Based on your description of the tank set up I am guessing that one must read the saddle tank level and one must read the central tank level. If my guess is correct this does not sound like a very accurate measuring system in that after the saddle tanks are empty you do not get an indication of how much fuel you have until the central tank starts dropping.
You are correct. He port gauge is for the port saddle tank, and the starboard is for central day tank. It is a decent estimate, when the port gauge hits below 1/4, you have about 340 left. It really does not go completely to empty since there is always fuel returning to the saddle tanks as the fuel returns empty go to the saddle tanks. I happen to have series 60 engines. The display has a fuel used value. I follow this and it is very accurate to my total usage. Even though it does not count generator. Total use s usually within 10 -15 gallons. I have been told this is it a sensor but a calculation based upon load, but I have found it to be very accurate.
Thanks for the response. One last question. Since all the tanks are linked together I assume you can fill all of them from one side? (My present 45 Ocean has two separate tanks so each has to be filled individually).
You probably could but it would take forever! Still need to fill from both sides due to high speed pumps going faster than the fuel flowing on its own between tanks.
No. Each saddle tank fills from its own fill, and then each fills a forward wing tank that then dump to day tank.
But if you were slowly filling one saddle it would eventually gravity feed the day full, then the forward wing full, and then the forward saddle full as they're all interconnected, but it would take a good while to balance out.
I didn't add that it would be almost impossible as you are trying to make fuel either balance out or flow up hill. That is why you fill from both sides.