# Bunker C vs. Admiralty grade fuel



## johnBP1 (Dec 18, 2018)

I know that the rules are changing regarding fuels on ships, but trying to determine what the difference was (during ww2) for admiralty grade fuel vs. bunker C?


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Royal Navy used a product called Furnace Fuel Oil, FFO, with its spec laid down in BR 3009. FFO required bunker tanks to be heated so I would hazard a guess that Bunker C and FFO were similar products.


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## YM-Mundrabilla (Mar 29, 2008)

Bunker C on locomotives required heating coils in the tender oil tank so that steam had to be raised to a certain point using wood fuel before oil was available.


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Royal Navy only occasionally carried a cargo of wood so short of chopping up the wardroom piano we flashed up on diesel before changing over to FFO.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

The last time I heard of this was relatively recently when a US tanker named after a wine region (Beajolais I think) was temporarily under our care whilst repairing 'abroad' (Gibraltar or Malta I think).

Our department (Technical Services) was used as maids of all work and our Manager Dick Swindall was doing the docking. Not a stick of furniture left by the time they were back on their own power. I remember that Dick was much amused by their Chief's favourite response to his advice "Elegant, Dick, elegant".

The owners evidently were suspected of trying one on with the US Government our offices were raided by HM Customs looking for all the paperwork on the docking. The complaint went along the lines that Government support was available for ships making repairs abroad but not for routine maintenance.


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