The impact of the 2009/30/EC fuel directive and biodiesel additives into marine diesel may lead to breakdowns and high repair bills unlikely to be covered by insurance, warn pleasurecraft insurers Navigators & General.
From 1st January 2011 all marine diesel must contain reduced levels of sulphur and one of the ways this is being achieved is through the addition of biodiesel also known as FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) into the mix. The risk to boat owners is that with FAME comes a much higher risk of diesel bug growth in fuel systems, something that causes breakdowns and which can be time consuming and expensive to clear.
Collidge & Partners, N&G’s largest specialist inland waters insurance broker, has already started seeing claims being submitted by policyholders for diesel bug related issues and River Canal Rescue (RCR) have also seen a rise in diesel bug related call outs and this is only likely to rise as the year progresses. Once diesel bug has taken hold it can quickly contaminate filters, pipes and tanks with a nasty black slime that will stop engines and take quite some time and effort to completely remove.
Longer term risks are the effects on some of the existing rubber and plastic seals and pipes within fuel systems. Many may not offer the required resistance to the new bio fuels being used, leading to gradual breakdown and leakage over time. RCR have already seen a number of pump failures due to likely seal breakdown caused by biodiesel.
Insurers Navigators & General and Brokers Collidge & Partners who have been specialising in the insurance of inland craft for over 25 years are concerned over the impact that it may have for many boat owners. Although not clear yet, it is likely that insurers will treat this as a maintenance issue, rather than an unpredictable accident. Diesel bug has been around for many years and the earlier it is spotted the easier it is to clear. There are also many treatments available that claim to prevent it taking hold in the first place.
The best advice seems to be to try and find out if the fuel you are intending to purchase has any biodiesel or FAME additive and try to avoid using fuel that does. If this is not an option using recommended fuel treatments to prevent and clear diesel bug will help. Also checking for water in fuel tanks which further increases the risk of diesel bug and exploring methods to check and drain tanks.
RCR advocate the use of marine 16 fuel treatment for diesel bug after positive results in the field.
Longer term and as part of routine maintenance it may be worth retro fitting seals and pipes with materials that are compatible and resistant to Bio fuel. The BMF and experienced yards and surveyors should be able to assist in this area. Regular checks for fuel leaks and fuel contamination in the bilge should also be carried out to identify pipe or seal breakdown early.
Whilst not a major cause for concern, this is definitely an issue that could affect all boat owners and lead to potentially expensive and very inconvenient breakdowns if ignored altogether. An engine cut out at a critical time could lead to damage and even injury. We hope that forewarned is forearmed and that by checking what fuel you are getting, using an additive and looking for the signs of a leak, boat owners should not be caught out.
For further information contact
Joe Field, PR Consultant, Navigators & General
Tel : 01273 863441 email joe.field@navandgen.co.uk
Chris Collidge, Collidge & Partners Marine Insurance
Tel : 01843 295925 email: finance@collidgeandpartners.co.uk
Stephanie Horton, River Canal Rescue
Tel : 0871 2008021 email: sho@rivercanalrescue.co.uk
