OCC Forums

Storing oil

https://forum.oceancruisingclub.org/Topic7030.aspx

By Dick - 10 Apr 2022

Hacks & ideas: storing oil
Most of us who wander widely and include remote and isolated destinations want to carry quantities of oil.
Storing oil was always a worry on board: a broken gallon bottle of oil spilling in the bilge would be pretty awful. When I started carrying larger quantities of oil (3-4 complete oil changes) when wandering farther afield, I could no longer find “safe” places for that kind of quantity.*
My solution was to store the oil in what I call river bags: water-proof bags used for white water river rafting/canoe trips etc. I believe I could get 3-4 gallons in each bag. They worked a charm and did save a mess when one bottle did burst (most of the oil was saved as the bag was clean and just caught the oil.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
*Not only do I like to have the oil I want, but it is often hard (and sometimes very expensive) in remote places to find oil. It can also happen that water gets into the engine and, saving the engine, can entail a couple of changes of oil to get the engine back to working condition.
My dream cruising boat would have a built in reservoir for both new oil and for used oil.