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Got onboard the boat (2005 model), hadn't been on for a month or so, the cabin stank of petrol, but we weren't too alarmed because this had happened when we first took delivery of the boat and filled all the tanks to capacity, which we had done again the previous time we finished using it (so we naturally assumed it was a petrol overfill issue and the fumes would pass like the first time it happened)

...so we got underway and had gone through some swell and within half an hour the carbon monoxide alarm went off, the cabin was extremely fumey.

we took it back and opened all the port holes and successfully aired it out abit but then we plugged in shorepower and put the air con on which made the fumes alot worse. Checked the forward bilge under the cabin floor AND IT WAS VIRTUALLY FULL OF PETROL. We eventually got it all out (by scooping it into buckets rather than putting the bilge pump on) and their was about 10 litres of it.

Thinking this might still be the effects of petrol overflow from filling the tanks to capacity (which a general boat mechanic agreed with) we left the boat to see if the fwd bilge would fill up with petrol any further whilst the boat was docked. This was two weeks ago and we just got word from the mechanic that there was indeed another couple of cup-fulls of petrol in it. He said that this could just be additional petrol from the overflow that had finally drained down but I'm thinking this could be much more serious.

Just talked to boston whaler and they said it sounded pretty bad. The 305 is in different town (200 kms away) where there's no BW dealership...So we are going to have to get a BW mechanic get up there for a look.

Any thoughts as to what could have happened in the mean time?

Cheers,
Errol.

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I would check the fittings and sender on the auxiliary tank which is located directly behind the forward bilge area. Also BW recommends that the fuel tanks should never be filled to capacity - allow 2% for expansion.