Ethanol serves as unnatural gas for boating...
 

I read this article this morning in The Buffalo News and thought it would interest all boaters, because it's becoming increasingly difficult to purchase gas for our boats that doesn't contain ANY ethanol.

The article was written by Will Elliott, a News Outdoor Writer:

"First it was five percent, now many gas pumps display a 10 percent ethanol content. Talk has it that ecology-minded planners, concerned about emissions and air pollution, might push percentages to 15 or more as standard gasoline content.

Mercury Marine did some testing with E-15 gas in 2011 and the results were disturbing. In 300-hour, full-throttle tests of four-stroke and two-stroke engines, excess heat resulted in damaged exhaust valves and bearing failures before the test hours were completed, according to David Hilbert, Mercury Marine engineer.

Hilbert noted that other test engines run with standard gasoline had no issues during the 300 hours of testing.

Not only does ethanol in gas affect engine performance, the alcohol content in ethanol can damage older units with fiberglass tanks and older rubber fittings. An increase to E-15 content can just make matters worse for area boaters who keep inboard and outboard motors in storage, often for half of the year.

Alcohol blends draw and retain water when boat tanks are left outside during the winter as a result of heating and cooling periods that build up condensation in the gas tank.

For this reason, marine engine makers recommend that boaters store their units with the tank nearly or fully filled with gas after the last run each warm-weather season.

That caution also goes for buying gas at a pump for marine use. Try to fill up at stations with high-volume use to avoid condensation that may have built up in sales tanks.

Savvy motorists, including those doing farm/field work as well as running boat motors, have been adding fuel stabilizers to all their "outside" engines long before the ethanol advent.

Many fuel-stabilizing products are on the market; the most popular brand comes in two colors - red for general uses and blue for marine engines.

Experts say the red version can be good for intervals of a few weeks, but they suggest running the more expensive and much more effective "blue stuff" in everything from 300-HP outboards to push rotary lawn mowers.

For now, E-10 has caused problems mainly for owners of older marine motors, but alcohol can do damage in any fuel system; difficulties with E-15 gas will be worse.

One way to check on alcohol content would be with a test kit that gives readings instantly. A good source for test kits can be found at fueltestkit.com."

For those that are interested, here is a link to a website that lists ethanol-free gas stations in the US & Canada...

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp

All the local stations around here have a pump with premium non-ethanol gas. I don't even run that ethanol crap in my lawn mower.

Consider yourself lucky....non E is simply not available anywhere here (and numerous boaters here have looked). If we had non E 93 like I hear alot of the country has that would be all I'd burn.

Here is a link for ethanol free gas in VA, quite a few have the 93 octane. At this link you can click on any state to see where to get it!

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=VA

I have that site bookmarked. Other than Jordan Point (which is 45 miles away), the next closest is a 65 mile drive each way. (I'll pay someone who finds something close to Richmond Va).......one local guy has a 500 gal. tank at his house and can't even get non E delivered anymore.


.....and Jordan Point only carries 87 octane.

Bring it up here i can fill it for ya Russ! :)

That sucks...you would think marine fuel could be classed differently since it is at a dock and not available for cars

Russ, Bedford isn't too far. I've driven up there and filled up 5 gallon cans and used them for winterizing before. REALLY nice folks up that way.

Taylors has 89 non E right here on the Rivah. That's all I use in the Mastercraft and I take my caddy up there and fill it to have non E for all the lawn equipment.

WHAT.....mapquest shows it as 140 miles each way!!!