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Fuel Contamination? The Baltimore Francis Key Bridge Collapse
6 April 2024 · 6 min · 8K views
What this video covers
The March 26, 2024 collision of the container ship DALI with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge — caused by a ship-wide power outage seconds before impact — prompts a practical look at diesel fuel contamination on sailboats.Watch DALI's nine-cylinder Hyundai Heavy Industries two-stroke crosshead diesel, rated at 41,000 kW (55,000 hp) at 82.5 RPM, illustrates how fuel failure can disable even the largest engines; the same vulnerability applies to sailboat diesels, which often sit unused for years.0:23 Microbial growth, water intrusion, biocide issues, and cold-weather gelling are the primary contamination risks covered.0:59 Six specific additives are reviewed: FPPF Fuel Power Plus Cetane Booster, VP Racing Fuel Cetanium, Lucas Oil anti-gel, Liquid Performance Marine Diesel Fuel Treatment with Cetane Max, FPPF Marine Diesel Fuel Treatment, and Power Service Diesel Clean Plus C-Tain Boost — with cetane improvement, water removal, and injector cleaning as the key functions.1:55 Tim describes removing his own diesel tank through the lazarette hatch, pressure-washing visible green biological growth from the corners, and storing it inverted to dry.5:22 He also covers filling tanks completely before winter haul-out to reduce condensation and changing oil before storage to prevent acid buildup.6:17
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