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The Boat Galley

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Five gallon fuel or water jugs get heavy to pour! Stop straining your back with these super-easy-to-use siphons.

Shaker Siphon: Simply the Easiest Way NOT to Pour Fuel

September 19, 2015 by Carolyn Shearlock

Believe it or not, Dave and I have never filled either of our cruising boats at a fuel dock. Nope, every bit of fuel has gone into a jerry jug and then through a Baja filter* and into the tank.

And we jerry jug the gas for the dinghy. And until we got the watermaker recommissioned, we jerry-jugged our water. Now, our watermaker fills a jerry jug and we pour it into the water tank.

At roughly 40 pounds apiece, those 5-gallon jugs get heavy to hold up and pour in. But since we learned about these nifty little shaker siphons, we don’t pour them. And we don’t get fuel in our mouth starting the siphon, either. BONUS: They don’t spill like some of the “environmental” spouts do!

DIY Tool: Five gallon fuel or water jogs get heavy to pour! Stop straining your back with these super-easy-to-use siphons.

The metal end is a check valve — the fluid can go into the tube through it, but not back through the valve. Start with the container you’re transferring from higher than where it’s going (the bigger the height difference, the faster the flow will be). Put the end with the check valve into the container you’re transferring from, the other end where you want it to go, and then jiggle the check-valve end up and down a few times (each time, more liquid will come into the tube) until it finally gets running downhill and the flow continues on its own.

Since it’s easier to show than explain, here’s Holly Scott of Charlie’s Charts:

This is one of those things that just makes life aboard so much easier. I’m amazed that everyone doesn’t already have one. I think Dave has given 4 or 5 of them to friends at our old lake house for fueling their boats, too!

Where to get your own? My number one choice is Charlie’s Charts since Holly went to the trouble of making a video to show how they work. You can also get them many other places, including Amazon. If you want to use one for both fuel and water, be sure to get two and label them both.

  • Cruiser’s Siphon on Charlie’s Charts
  • Shaker Siphon on Amazon

One final note: don’t try to use these to siphon gas out of a gas. Car gas tanks have some sort of anti-siphon device in them to defeat thieves. They defeat owners, too.

*A Baja filter is a three-stage filter that gets out particles and water. Unfortunately, the original Baja filters are no longer being made. These Mr. Funnel filters are the closest thing I’ve been able to find.

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Filed Under: Buying a Boat & Gear Tagged With: Dinghy, Tools for a Boat

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ritchard Findlay says

    September 19, 2015 at 1:46 pm

    I used one of these this past Sunday. I couldn’t believe how well it worked. A bit slow, but no spillage whatsoever.

    Reply
    • The Boat Galley says

      September 19, 2015 at 1:49 pm

      I should have put that in the post — SO much better than the “environmental” spouts that leak everywhere!

      Reply
  2. Don Koch says

    September 19, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    I discovered this really clever idea in Baja on a big 57 footer. It made topping off a breeze.

    Reply
  3. Debra Perfitt says

    September 19, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    Yep got a couple onboard. Best thing ever!!

    Reply
  4. Debra Perfitt says

    September 19, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    No inexpensive that I buy these as gifts for other boaters. They always tell me it’s the best gift ever!

    Reply
  5. Lynn Kaak says

    September 19, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Been using them for years. And the rate they pour works well with Baja filters.

    Reply
  6. Debbie Bowen Crawford says

    September 19, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    Doug Crawford we need one of these

    Reply
  7. Jesse K On Smitty says

    September 19, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    We have one for fuel and one for water from the Jerry cans into the tanks. Love them.

    Reply
  8. Lupari Sue says

    September 19, 2015 at 11:44 pm

    We have fuel one and water one too and a spare I think. They are great. Wouldn’t be without them.

    Reply
  9. Scott Lee says

    September 20, 2015 at 2:46 am

    I’ve thought about getting something like this for fuel. Where/how do you clean and/or store the siphon when not in use?

    Reply
    • The Boat Galley says

      September 20, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      We just wipe it off with a rag and put it in a Ziploc.

      Reply
  10. ChrisW says

    September 20, 2015 at 7:14 am

    It’s a good idea to wrap red tape on both ends of the one you use for fuel. It takes a long time to get the taste of fuel out of a water tank.

    Reply
    • Carolyn Shearlock says

      September 20, 2015 at 10:17 am

      Great idea!

      Reply
  11. Susan says

    September 22, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Most NAPA stores in the U.S. Carry them as well.

    Reply
  12. Ernie Lorimer says

    September 22, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Do I understand it correctly that there is no good way of stopping it? I can’t fill a 1 gallon tank from a 5 gallon jerry can without a spill?

    Reply
    • Carolyn Shearlock says

      September 22, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      Sure you can slow it and stop it. To slow the flow, lift the container it’s flowing TO (or lower the one it’s coming FROM). The higher the “from” container is in relation to the “to” container, the faster the flow, so if you lessen the difference, the flow slows . . . and slows. And if the “to” container gets even an inch above the “from” container, the flow will stop. So pick up the container with one hand, and when the container is full and you’ve stopped the flow, pull the check valve end out of the “from” container and hold it up in the air to let what’s in the hose go into the “to” container. No spill. Wipe off the outside of the hose after using.

      Reply
  13. brad says

    September 24, 2015 at 9:48 am

    i use these to fill my tractor in the field. You SHOULD bring a pair of nitrile/latex gloves with you because the hose will have petro poisons on it when you are done – AND a rag to wipe down the hose ends would be nice.

    Reply
  14. Barbara Lowell says

    September 24, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    Can you please tell Capt. Holly that the contact us email button does not work on her site? You just get an email that has no addressee in it. I want to ask her a question about purchasing this product.

    Reply
    • Carolyn Shearlock says

      September 25, 2015 at 6:17 am

      I sent her a Facebook message (I don’t have her email or I’d give it to you) and also gave her your email so hopefully she’ll contact you. She’s in California, so give her a few hours to be up!

      Reply
  15. James says

    October 2, 2015 at 7:15 am

    I’ve ordered a 2-pack of the shaker siphon through the links on this page. Thanks for the tip. I look forward to trying it.

    Reply
  16. Colin Mombourquette says

    October 16, 2015 at 12:06 am

    Have one that came with the boat for use with diesel . Works great and is easy to use. Take care though when getting close to a full tank, it’s easy to overfill. Don’t ask me how I know 😉

    Reply
  17. Robert Snelling says

    September 3, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    I use one all the time! They’re great

    Reply
  18. Sunlover Connie says

    September 3, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    Been using one for years.

    Reply
  19. Ken Ferrari says

    September 3, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    Yes, these are wonderful!

    Reply
  20. Evelyn Mull says

    September 4, 2016 at 5:05 am

    One for water and one for fuel. Both well marked. Got them on a “two-fer” deal. Even John Mull likes them!

    Reply
  21. CJ Schnier says

    June 27, 2017 at 11:25 am

    These things are great

    Reply
  22. Jodi Bratton says

    June 27, 2017 at 11:35 am

    We have three on board, water, gas and diesel.

    Reply
    • Jodi Bratton says

      June 27, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      Becky Croston right.

      Reply
  23. Dawn Read says

    June 27, 2017 at 11:55 am

    We have these, right, Lucky?

    Reply
    • Lucky Read says

      June 27, 2017 at 12:47 pm

      We do.

      Reply
  24. Colin Mombourquette says

    June 27, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    Have used mine for years; would’t be without it.

    Reply
  25. Matt Callaghan says

    June 27, 2017 at 1:40 pm

    I know these as Safety Siphons. They are awesome. I believe these are the originals.
    https://safetysiphon.net/

    Reply
  26. Ritchard Findlay says

    June 27, 2017 at 2:49 pm

    I recently got one. It’s pretty cool, though needs to be relaxed from however long tightly rolled up in its retail package. It’s pretty sproingy.

    Reply
    • The Boat Galley says

      June 27, 2017 at 3:30 pm

      Lay it out in the sun with something (books, whatever) holding it out fairly straight. Let it cool still straight, then roll up — less tightly.😎

      Reply
    • Ritchard Findlay says

      June 27, 2017 at 3:31 pm

      The Boat Galley If we ever get sun this “summer” I’ll do just that.

      Reply
  27. Robert Schulke says

    June 27, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    We do it for diesel. Guess we need another two for gas and water. The other thing we use is a filter funnel that blocks water.

    Reply
    • Robert Schulke says

      June 27, 2017 at 4:24 pm

      Becky Croston West Marine sells them. The flow is tolerable. What gets me is the amount of debris and water in fresh pump diesel here in South San Francisco. Neighbor actually borrowed it to polish his tank when he put a few gallons of water in it.

      Reply
    • The Boat Galley says

      June 27, 2017 at 7:03 pm

      If you can get an old “Baja Filter” they’re great .. . . but not made anymore. The best I’ve found that’s available now is Mr. Funnel. They come in various sizes. Most high speed fuel docks get grumpy if you want to use one, so we lug jerries and filter every bit of it. http://amzn.to/2ueK40p

      Reply
    • Robert Schulke says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:24 pm

      West Marine sells it under their brand. Works amazingly well.

      Reply
  28. Carl Stevenson says

    June 27, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    We have one to transfer diesel from our jugs to the tank, and another to transfer water from jugs to the water tanks.
    They are marked and stored in their own labeled gallon zipper bags.

    Reply
  29. Susan Kam says

    June 27, 2017 at 5:21 pm

    John

    Reply
  30. Debie Petersen says

    June 27, 2017 at 7:02 pm

    I have one for water when camping. Harbor Freight carrys them.

    Reply
  31. Cathy Brookhart Cartier says

    June 28, 2017 at 2:46 am

    I’ve had these for 20 years. They are wonderful gadgets!!

    Reply
  32. Angie Wilson says

    June 28, 2017 at 2:56 am

    This is sold by Holly Scot in WWS if you prefer to support a mate instead of a coorporation….and hers arw much better than anything I have ever bought elsewhere….the real deal.

    Reply
    • The Boat Galley says

      June 28, 2017 at 10:51 am

      Angie Wilson – I use Holly’s video in that post and link to Charlie’s Charts as the preferred vendor.

      Reply
  33. Geoff McClure says

    June 30, 2017 at 11:17 am

    We have one for diesel and one for the dink and generator. I have a love hate relationship with them. They’re sometimes hard to get a siphon going but when they work, they work like a champ and are certainly far superior to the “spill proof” nozzles which are so poorly engineered they’re nothing more than garbage.

    Reply
  34. James H. Newsome says

    June 30, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    Bought mine a couple years ago after reading your article. I also purchased the filter you recommended. No regrets! Works great.

    Reply
  35. Sabrina Zickert says

    January 18, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    We own half a dozen of these. They are great!

    Reply
  36. Bob Grenier says

    January 18, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    I purchased one of these after I read about it on this forum last spring and it works WONDERFULLY!!! One of my ALL time best purchases. Thank you. I strongly recommend.

    Reply
  37. Susan Anderson says

    January 18, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    We always siphon too, but we blow into the tank that we are transferring from. Never have to worry about getting a mouth full. But these siphons look great!

    Reply
    • Impetuous Too says

      January 18, 2018 at 2:47 pm

      We too do this, then any pipe will do. Really easy, just cup your hand around the pipe in the full can and blow.

      Reply
  38. Gene Turner says

    January 18, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Harbour freight $5

    Reply
  39. Damian Huf says

    January 18, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    These are brilliant. Have been using one for about 30 years and it’s still going strong.

    Reply
  40. Heather Hill says

    January 18, 2018 at 4:37 pm

    Randy Lyons we need one of these!

    Reply
  41. Mickey Dawson says

    January 18, 2018 at 5:15 pm

    Seems tough to do when using the Baha though.. I have a shaker siphon and fill 90% of my diesel (O’Day 322) from a 5 gallon can. But to use the siphon I’d have to elevate the can somehow, maybe sit it on a block of wood, or cabin top if the hose reaches, as the other end of the tube will end at the top of the fill in the filter.. Seems tough to do with 2 hands.. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to get a siphon going!

    Reply
    • Carolyn Shearlock says

      January 18, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      We use it all the time with a Baja filter. Sit the jerry can on an upside-down 5-gallon bucket. If needed, use a large clip to hold the end of the hose inside the Baja filter (or get a second person — but we both do it occasionally by ourselves with a clip).

      Reply
  42. Ginny Teatro says

    January 18, 2018 at 5:47 pm

    These are the best! You posted this a few yrs ago and my hubby ordered them straight away and love them!

    Reply
  43. Wendy Wilkins Mitchell says

    January 18, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    I have two of these I got from charlies Chart. Love it.

    Reply

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Carolyn Shearlock

Hi! I'm Carolyn Shearlock. My husband and I have been cruising over 10 years and 10,000 miles, first on a Tayana 37 monohull and now on a 34' Gemini catamaran. Along the way, we sold pretty much everything we owned (twice!), gained a great boat dog, had a bunch of wonderful times and some adventures . . . and learned a ton about what does and doesn't work!

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