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I don’t know what every think’s or feels about fumes in the bilge, me, I think you can never be safe enough. I remember my first boat, FourWinds 190 horizon. As always I find the dead dog and bring them back to life. This boat turned out to be really nice. One day wile we were out, I turned the bilge pump on (this is something I do) and always look to see if anything is being pumped out. On this day I noticed that black was coming out, Off with the pump, Off with the boat, and open the cover to find that the engin oil filled the bilge. What had happened is a little hole opened up on the oil-pan allowing the oil to remove itself .
So I have got to thinking, my Trojan is 32 years old with the original fuel tank, what if that was to happen to the fuel tank wile I was under way. This is something that you will never know in time to save yourself. Well to relieve my anxiety on this one I purchased a Fume detector with alarm and auto blower turn on, this will sound the alarm and turn the blower on at 18-20% LEL (lower explosive level) a woman wearing perfume will set this thing off. It is 12vdc and draws only 210ma
It also takes care of the blower problem of forgetting to purge the bilge of fumes, This I do from time to time after shutting down in the locks (not good)
Good idea on the fume detector, but keep your eye on that original tank. If it's like mine (was) it's galvanized steel, and that can mean (in my case it actually did) rust forming on the inside of the tank due to condensation (especially over the winter, and even more so with the wonders of ethanol in fuel....). The first signs of a problem in my boat was hesitation and failure to get over 3000 rpm. Over the course of the first two years on the boat the "max" rpm gradually declined to about 1800. First solved with a tuneup and carb rebuild the following year, only to start happening later in the season. After more exploratory "surgery" we found brown gunk in the fuel filters. Analyzed the gunk and, yup - rust.....
Replaced the original tank in 2002 with a poly tank and have never had another problem.
Problem with the galv tank is that eventually it would have rust through, most likely at a place not readily visible. So keep the fume detector in good running order and DON'T run the bilge pump if you even THINK you smell gas!
Have a good summer. Hope to see you in late July when we get down to Waterford on the last leg of the great journey!
Yep, took the tank out first year, the bottom was full of brown oatmeal. Cleaned he up looked very good inside not a spec of rust to be seen (in the area you could see) I put her back in. Put the new Teak deck in and remembered the oil thing, Slapped myself in the head to do a reset, had a beer, no a few and thought of what to do . Well that is how I cam up with using the detector, I figured I can swim better than I can fly. I still keep an eye on the tank at all times, boy I would not want to remove that deck at this point.
I don’t have a bilge pump aft, only in the bow, all my water goes to the bow. The aft part of the bilge is desert dry. Only when under way do I get wet around the shaft from a drip that should be there.
Look forward to getting together around July.
I still have a fume detector (just one sensor...not the head unit. It's a grey, thimble shaped thing with a long chord) from that old kind that was in all the Trojans. The whole system was removed when I put in a new gas tank under the cockpit floor and removed the ones on each side of the engines. If anyone wants it just lemme' know!
Remember thes boats were not engineered or designed to operate in the harsh marine environment with potential exposure to salt water, tropical heat, freezing and thawing temps and intense direct sunlight exposure for thirty or more years.
Special consideration needs to be given to the care, maintenance and upkeep of these vesssels as they age, especially to the safety related systems.
I wonder how many older Trojans have fuel linesand tanks over 30 yeas old. When was he ls time they were inspected?
We pulled my 242 gal fuel tank out during the refit for the purposes of inspection and to coat the bottom and sides with a special epoxy coating. We found a tiny corner of that tank was beginning to corrode and made the choice to err on the side of safety and replace the tank which we epoxied. (bottom half & sides)
When I got her the aft bilge pump float switch was inoperative. Who knows how long that small part of the tank may have sat with some portion of it sitting in the bilge water? Weeks, months, more?
Stay safe and keep a keen eye and nose out for this kind of problem which will become more and more of an issue as these vessels age.
I will be pulling the engin this fall so I can do some stringer work, and do a 100% rebuild on the engin at same time. I will be removing the tank and replacing it during this rework. I think I will be able to remove the tank up thru the engin compartment with the engin removed. If you can see my teak deck you will understand my not wanting to rip it out. If I have to I will .
Every one, an eye dropper amount of gas in the bilge can turn your boat into tooth picks be safe
I had a fuel smell on my F-36 after topping off the tanks. 2 years ago, I removed the patio floor to repair a soft spot, While the floor was out, I decited to clean up the bilge. upon inspection, I noticed cracks in the 90 degree fitting on top of both rear tanks, which I replaced. the fuel line was copper and still in great shape. I then inspected my front tanks and found all to be well. My inlet hoses (from the tanks to the fuel inlets) were dry rotted, so I replaced them. and havent had any more fuel smell. Now I inspect the entire fuel system at the beginning of each season.
Slapped myself in the head to do a reset, had a beer, no a few and thought of what to do 
.