boaters beware

fishlessman

e10 was bad enough in the boat, eats the gas lines causing the inner liner to separate stopping gas flow. now theres e15

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit 

23h  ·

Boaters beware!! A recent authorization allowing the summer sale of gasoline containing 15% ethanol (E15) at roadside gas stations presents a problem for boaters. This type of fuel is federally prohibited for recreational vessel use, causes marine engine damage, and will void marine engine warranty. Additionally, E15 fuel has been shown to make engines run hotter, increasing the potential of a catastrophic boat fire. Signs or warning labels may not be obvious at the pump as it may simply be marked as “regular 88” or “regular unleaded”. The convenience of filling a tow vehicle and boat at the same time may cause boaters to overlook this potentially dangerous detail. Please ensure the fuel you are dispensing into your boat contains no more than 10% ethanol (E10).

nolaegghead

I put zero ethanol fuel in my boat.  No shortage of it here, just always expensive 

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

I put zero ethanol fuel in my boat.  No shortage of it here, just always expensive 

wish i had a close source for zero ethanol and i dont even want to think about the marina costs for gas, im not going there.  my big engine is sputtering right now, that line replacement under the deck is not going to be fun the way its set up

HeavyG

fishlessman said:

nolaegghead said:

I put zero ethanol fuel in my boat.  No shortage of it here, just always expensive 

wish i had a close source for zero ethanol and i dont even want to think about the marina costs for gas, im not going there.  my big engine is sputtering right now, that line replacement under the deck is not going to be fun the way its set up

Try a small local airport - avgas is ethanol free.

It won't be cheap but might find one lower than a marina.

nolaegghead

fishlessman

HeavyG said:

fishlessman said:

nolaegghead said:

I put zero ethanol fuel in my boat.  No shortage of it here, just always expensive 

wish i had a close source for zero ethanol and i dont even want to think about the marina costs for gas, im not going there.  my big engine is sputtering right now, that line replacement under the deck is not going to be fun the way its set up

Try a small local airport - avgas is ethanol free.

It won't be cheap but might find one lower than a marina.

Hoping the e10 stays around as long as my old Merc lasts. It wasn't supposed to last with the hours I have on it. I don't let this gas sit in the tank more than a week or two or starts breaking down, even with stabilizer.  E15 is worse with 2 strokes so maybe an upgrade to 4 will need to happen .  It's maybe up near 35k hours plus now which is insane

nolaegghead

If you update to a modern 4-stroke you'll probably burn half the gas you do now.  In that case, running E15 is a mercy killing.

dbCooper

@fishlessman

For real, 35k hours on that outboard?  Insane indeed!

To your original concerns, some brands are alcohol free in their premium grades.  Shell is reliable for that in the central plains and surrounding states.  Sounds like might not be the same in your area.

lousubcap

For numbers junkies, 35K hours works out to 4 solid years of operation.  That is beyond impressive.  

littlerascal56

My new Yamaha golf cart came with a 20 year 5000 hr/100,000 mile warranty and was designed for ethanol/gasoline blend.  Most of the fuel in Kansas will contain ethanol, as we have huge ethanol plants that use local grown corn.  Very hard to find non-ethanol gas around the state, and especially at the lakes & marina’s.  

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

If you update to a modern 4-stroke you'll probably burn half the gas you do now.  In that case, running E15 is a mercy killing.

i would have to downsize to compensate for the weight difference which will lower boat speed by maybe a third on the top end. theres always tradeoffs.  im mainly using a 6 hp 4 stroke kicker now but the big merc is what gets me to the fish

fishlessman

dbCooper said:

@fishlessman

For real, 35k hours on that outboard?  Insane indeed!

To your original concerns, some brands are alcohol free in their premium grades.  Shell is reliable for that in the central plains and surrounding states.  Sounds like might not be the same in your area.

im still finding e10, but looks like its going to change soon.

fishlessman

lousubcap said:

For numbers junkies, 35K hours works out to 4 solid years of operation.  That is beyond impressive.  

the starter is the weak link, if i get 4 to 5 years out of one i did good

nolaegghead

I don’t remember when they started to measure HP at the prop, but the older outboards were rated at the power head.   That usually accounts for more than enough power to compensate for the extra weight.  

Also, 4-strokes are very quiet in comparison.  You can run around at idle and lose the kicker.  Or get an electric trolling motor.  

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

I don’t remember when they started to measure HP at the prop, but the older outboards were rated at the power head.   That usually accounts for more than enough power to compensate for the extra weight.  

Also, 4-strokes are very quiet in comparison.  You can run around at idle and lose the kicker.  Or get an electric trolling motor.  

my 6 hp 4 stroke kicker is actually too fast at idle if i fully drop it down, i drop it with the prop half way under the hull to restrict the water flow abit. this time of year i am fishing less than 0.6 mph.  right now the 6 hp engine runs between 12 and 16 hours on about 1.5 gallons of gas depending on wind and i have a micro controller wired in to adjust speed at the helm. i am controlling the speed within 0.1 mph. later in the season i could use a 115 4 stroke but thats just wear and tear on a pricey engine. a 115 hp 4 stroke and my rear deck will be taking on some water thru the scuppers at the dock. the next weight size down is mostly a 75hp class.  i have too much stuff on the boat for a proper float