I's the B'y Who Builds the Boat: Advice From Paul Fay on Adding Two Stroke Oil to Diesel Fuel

24 03 2012
Stuck in the Twilight Zone, Sea of Tranquility
Storm is Over, Never Really Happened, Rain Forecast Prohibits Painting Today

Ti Gitu - a Fay 40 Radius Chine
Designed, Built and Sailed by Paul Fay

Paul Fay is an interesting guy, his wife Mo even more so.  Paul is an inventor, shipwright and marine surveyor who knows a lot about a lot of stuff.  He designed his own wind self steering system.  Paul and Mo sail Ti Gitu, a 38 foot, steel hulled, twin masted, junk rigged sailboat of Paul's design and construction and we met them first in Bermuda and then weeks later again in Flores and Horta.


Mo took up sailing at a late stage in life and at the age of 52 undertook a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a vessel closely resembling Joshua Slocum's Spray.  She accomplished this amazing feat in a boat designed specifically for her and built by Paul.  This was how they met: Mo needing boats and Paul supplying them.  You can read about some critical bits of Mo's life in her book Lone Voyager: One Woman's Journey of Self Discovery.


Anyway Paul is writing a Blog chock a block with good info on how to maintain your sailing yacht.  You find it at faymarine.blogspot.com.   I suspect Mo is writing the thing or at least cleaning it up.  Paul was never that glib when we were drinking his favourite Grant's whiskey.  Mind you taht was usually about 3 in morning when all the pantywaists had drifted away to bed.  


His latest entry is on Adding Two Stroke Oil to the diesel fuel used in older (pre 2006 build) diesel engines to compensate for the lost lubricity in modern low sulphur fuels.  Our friends back home nearly all have such older engines and most of them would benefit greatly from Paul's well written advice. 


It is a far more complicated topic that you might imagine and Paul gives it a good airing.  He tells you what kind of Two Stroke Oil to buy (who knew there were different kinds) and what ratios to mix it at.  


So, if your diesel was built before 2006 add TSO (two stroke oil) to the fuel.  Paul tells you what and how.  


I am a follower of Paul's site and find it very worthwhile.