We are close to having our mobile home back.

Since the last post, we have pumped, mopped and wiped up the majority of diesel spill. We systematically ruled out any leaks in the fuel transfer pipes and found that the gasket and sealant under the operations tank were fragmenting. It may have been the type of sealant we used or the fact that we used acetone to clean the gasket before reinstalling which caused the rubber to break down. In any case, we have a new and improved gasket and have used a different sealant and today we filled the tank and tested for leaks--all good. Washed the tank tops under the flooring with soapy water and the odor is mostly gone.

For those interested, here is a side bar on our fuel system which has been the subject of our recent woes.
Fuel capacity
Many trawler manufacturers tout their boats as long range passagemakers in glossy magazines and at boat shows. Unlike many coastal cruisers, however, the Diesel Duck carries enough fuel to cross an ocean. Fuel is stored in keel tanks which are built in as part of the hull:
Port and Starboard Forward tanks--240 g each
Port and Starboard Mid tanks--350 g each
Operations tank--399 g
Aft tank in transom and swimstep--422 g
Total 2001g
At an average of 6 kts (nautical miles per hour) with a fuel consumption rate of 2.5 g/h, our range is 4,800 miles. (Which does not take into account real life factors like wind, waves and current, but you get the picture.) The efficiency of the 4 cylinder John Deere makes for economical cruising but you can imagine the pain of pulling up to the pump! (I thought the suburban was bad)
Fuel Management and Cleaning
The importance of keeping my single diesel engine running happily crossing the Pacific Ocean is obvious. Bob Senter stressed in his diesel courses that the vast majority of problems which can befall an engine can be avoided by giving it clean fuel. In the course of our travels, one cannot trust that all the fuel we buy will be pristine. Dirt, water, algae, and asphaltenes (precipitates of organic molecules occurring in old fuel which look like little bits of tar) are all common contaminants. To this end, the Duck has a system of filters and transfer pumps to move and clean fuel. A Racor 1000 (large) filter is used to filter fuel from any tank and return it to any other tank. This can be occuring as we are under way which is helpful as wave action stirs up particles which normally lie in the bottom of the tank and can be effectively removed. The operations tank is the direct source of fuel for the engine and generator. The importance of keeping only high quality filtered fuel in this tank cannot be understated and is the reason we opened the tank in Hong Kong to clean out some algae residue--which resulted in our leaky hatch gasket.
From the ops tank, the fuel travels through another off engine filter, a Racor 500, with a 30 micron filter, and then through two on engine filters, a 10 and then 2 micron filter, and finally the fuel is delivered to the injectors which are precision nozzles which spray a minute amount of fuel into the cylinders. Any particles in the fuel can easily cause the injectors to be clogged and the engine to poorly function or worse. The system is monitored by a vacuum gauge which reads the pressure differential across the filter element. Clogged filters will cause the engine to need to suck harder to get fuel and the vacuum gauge will reflect that and clue us in to the need to replace the filter element. That gauge reading is part of hourly engine room checks.
Fuel can be transferred using this system for trimming the boat as well, both forward and aft and side to side. Weight forward is advantageous heading into the wind and waves to reduce the rise and fall of the bow, and aft heavy is best for a following sea where the boat "squats" and is less likely to surf down the waves.
So, most of our work is completed. Changed oil in the engine and transmission and we will regrease the universal joints and thrust bearing. We are aiming for a departure in about 48 hours or so. Will be nice to be able to report on the high seas soon.

Check out photos of some of the equipment I mention in the gallery under fuel system