In a recent informal study performed by BoatUS, they found that 91% of boaters prefer ethanol-free fuel. Gee, who could have guessed? Of those surveyed, only about half of them reported being able to find ethanol-free gas at their local marinas or gas stations. Even though the government says that E10 gasoline is safe to use in watercraft--and, as we've reported, is even trying to increase the ethanol percentage--boaters are still understandably cautious. More than half of the respondents reported having to repair or replace engine parts due to what they believe are ethanol-based issues in their engines, with the average price tag for those repairs sitting around $1,000.
TEST DRIVE THE 2016 PONTOON AND DECK BOAT MODELS AT PDB DAYS
“Our members said that they fill up their boat(s) in a combination of ways, with about half of them using a fuel dock, about 40% filling up at a gas station, and 35% using portable gas cans,” says BoatUS Government Affairs Senior Program Manager David Kennedy. "We need to make sure that no matter how they get their gas, boaters have a fuel that works in their marine engine. And if we don’t fix the federal mandate known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that aims to increase the volume of corn ethanol into the nation’s gas supply, there will be higher blends of ethanol (i.e. E15) in gas pumps increasing the chances of misfueling with the possibility of more extensive engine damage continuing to rise.”
As always, make your voice heard! Go here: http://goo.gl/nkWD6w and ask your particular member of Congress to amend to RFS to ensure all future gasoline works in all engines.
