The Continuing Biodiesel Adventures in
"Putting the 'Bean' in Caribbean"
"Putting the 'Bean' in Caribbean"
SAILS FAIL, BUT BIODIESEL RUNS STRONG
(CHARLESTON, S.C.) - The first leg of any two-year journey is going to turn up some unusual circumstances.
For the curious new users of an alternative diesel fuel made from soybean oil, the sails were the problem, not their diesel engine fueled with a biodiesel blend.
Capt. Jim MacNeil and Rebecca Payne left Wikander's Boat Yard in Allen, Md., on a dream two-year Caribbean cruise Nov. 24. The sailors are burning a 20% blend of BioBooster with 80% petro-diesel in their CT "Beyond." BioBooster is produced in Lakeland, Fla., by NOPEC Corp. The fuel is nontoxic and biodegradable, and provides the same performance as petro-diesel while increasing lubrication, providing higher cetane, and reducing emissions. BioBooster is available through the BOAT/U.S. catalog and select BOAT/U.S. stores.
Two hours before sunrise
Nov. 24, a thick layer of frost glistened on Beyond's decks
as the 41-foot ketch slipped free of its lines and rode the
high tide out of Wicomico Creek. A bottle of olive oil in
the galley had gelled completely, but the biodiesel, which
was stored on deck and in the unheated lazarette, was the
color of apple juice, the consistency of warmed cooking oil,
and completely transparent.
Favorable northeast winds in Tangier Sound fueled the genoa, mainsail and mizzen as Beyond headed toward Onancock, Va., that day. High winds followed, and an ill-fitting new mainsail resulted in a broken sail tack as the crew, including friend Mark Christiansen, owner of Sandbar Marine in Showell, Md., and the couple's tabby, Brewser, continued south. Capt. MacNeil fired up the 44-horsepower Yanmar as they motored toward Norfolk, Va. "By the time we rounded Thimble Shoal Light and headed into Hampton Roads Channel, we knew we were burning the environmentally friendly blend," he says. "I was really skeptical that a 20 percent blend would make that much difference - after all, what we are burning is still four parts petroleum diesel. The difference, however, is quite noticeable."
Co-captain Rebecca Payne noticed the change, too. "I haven't smelled diesel in so long I forgot what it smells like," she says.
Changing fuel filters is more pleasant with a biodiesel blend in the tank, Capt. MacNeil also reports. "We spent a bumpy night in open anchorage near downtown Norfolk at Intracoastal Waterway mile-marker zero, as a strong front moved eastward into the region and heavy commercial shipping traffic added to the roll," he says. "The crud in the 20-year-old fuel tanks got sloshed around during this little tempest."
By the next afternoon, the vacuum
gauge tapped into Beyond's fuel lines indicated it was time
to change the filters. "Even mixed by 20 percent the odor of
the fuel has really been tamed down," MacNeil says. "I can
hold a used filter element up to my nose and notice nothing
unpleasant. My hands used to stink for hours afterwards ...
not anymore!
"Do you think my social life will improve?" he jokes. Biodiesel's solvent properties help loosen varnish and crud in fuel systems, and new biodiesel users need to practice checking fuel filters as the system gets cleaned.
"It's too early to tell what part BioBooster's scrubbing action played in that since our fuel filters had not been changed since our return voyage from the Florida Keys two and a half years ago," MacNeil says. "Keep in mind, also, that Beyond has cruised Central and South America, where we were not always afforded the luxury of clean, treated fuel, which is available stateside."
Each batch of BioBooster is tested for quality, ensuring clean fuel for boaters like those aboard the Beyond who are headed out of U.S. waters. The fuel itself was developed through the soybean checkoff, a program in which a portion of the sale of soybeans is set aside, or "checked off" for marketing, research and education. The Maryland Soybean Board, which administers Maryland soybean checkoff funds, is co-sponsoring Beyond's voyage with NOPEC.
"You could say we have a farmer on board," MacNeil quips. "Based on my experience so far, you can bet I will add BioBooster to my fuel wherever it is available."
On Dec. 14, Beyond cruised to Charleston, S.C., to share the word about BioBooster biodiesel with South Carolina boaters. BOAT/U.S.' newest store, in Charleston, has carried the fuel since Dec. 13. Select BOAT/U.S. stores up and down the East Coast and the BOAT/U.S. are offering the fuel also. For more information about BioBooster, call NOPEC Corp. at (888) 296-6732.
EDITORS: To get on the mailing list for updates of future adventures aboard Beyond, call Susanne Hammond at (410) 860-0951 and leave mailing information.