Marine: Boating, Sailing, PWC, GPS and Navigation - Water in Gas

After filling my boat up at the gas dock I sprayed off the rear of the boat with a water hose. The fuel cap was still opened and a small amount of water spray went in to the fuel tank. Will this cause a problem or will the water just pass through the engine with the gasoline?

Depends on what you mean by "a small amount of water".....

If it's not much - you should experience little more than some sputtering until the water is gone..... if it's enough to fill the gas line - you could end up dead in the water.

Any auto store has what some times is called "Heat " . This is used like in winter to get the water out of the gas tank on cars. If like said a lot then Id say pump off the bottom of the tank till you get gas.

Thanks for the advice. It really was probably about a hand of water. Is that worth worrying about, or should I just leave it alone?

What kind of engine? Outboard or Inboard/Outboard (I/O).

Most I/O's built since the late 1980's have an on-engine fuel filter/water separator. If it's an outboard it may also be equipped with a boat-mounted filter/separator. These filter units are designed to remove small amounts (2-6oz.) of water as the fuel passes through the filter element. If your boat is equipped with one of these filters you can unscrew it and dump out the water. Better yet, replace the entire filter canister: it’s a regular maintenance item and should be replaced as the manufacturer recommends.

Always use caution when messing with the fuel system – if you spill any fuel in the bilge clean it up. Run the bilge blower before you start the engine and once running check for any fuel leaks around the filter.

Another thing to try is to spray some wd 40 in yor tank .Wd 40 is designed to displace water ."Water displacement 40". It should bring the water up to the top and allow it to evaporate. It will only work with small amounts of water.good luck