Ethanol problems
I`m not a boater but thought you folks might appreciate this Cape Cod Times article.
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Fuel for thought
By AMANDA LEHMERT
STAFF WRITER
EAST FALMOUTH - On a stifling July afternoon, Green Pond Tackle and Marina owner Harry Turner sat surrounded by dozens of fishing poles in his air-conditioned office overlooking a sparkling estuary - and talked about a new aggravation.
Boats of all types and sizes can be affected by the ethanol now being added to gasoline. Experts say the worst problems come from mixing the new fuel with the old.
(Staff photo by Steve Heaslip)
His marina and others across the Cape have been the site of headaches for boat owners and mechanics dealing with a bevy of problems associated with Massachusetts' switch to the gasoline additive ethanol.
''Oh, there are a lot of sob stories,'' Turner said.
The new ethanol mixture replaced methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, as a fuel oxygenator in Massachusetts gas tanks earlier this year.
Area boat owners discovered in the past few weeks that ethanol can gum up engines and filters and even lead to the deterioration of certain kinds of fuel tanks.
Depending on the age and condition of the marine vehicle, boat experts said the new fuel blend could be merely a manageable nuisance or a potentially explosive problem.
''It's kind of a surprise. No one really expected it to happen so fast,'' said Chuck Fort, assistant editor at the owners association Boat US.
Across the country, states have been switching to gasoline with ethanol instead of MTBE, a possible human carcinogen that has polluted U.S. water supplies.
The new additive, essentially an alcohol made from corn, has made a smooth transition into automobile fuel.
But boats, which have similar engines but different fuel systems, have had unexpected problems that mechanics sometimes have a difficult time identifying.
Recently, local mechanics report, more boats than usual have been towed in with clogged filters or engine trouble.
''The biggest problem is that you aren't supposed to mix this new stuff with the old stuff,'' Turner said.
It is unclear exactly what happens when old and new gas mix, Fort said, but it can create a sludge that clogs carburetors.
The best bet is pumping off the old gas before you fill up with the new stuff - a somewhat expensive prospect at about $7 a gallon.
''It's a hell of a lot cheaper than towing it in,'' said Rick Schermerhorn, from Edwards Boatyard in East Falmouth.
Mechanics also recommend cleaning the tank or carrying spare filters, since the ethanol will scrub free any tank debris. That could clog filters or cause other damage.
Even owners with well-maintained boats should watch out for water getting into their engines.
Unlike car engines, boat engines vent to the air, allowing water to build up in the tank in the moist marine environment.
In that environment, the ethanol can mix with the water and separate from the gasoline, changing the octane of the fuel or even allowing water to enter the engine.
Greg Galvin, president of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, suggested boaters use a water separating filter to prevent water from leaving the fuel tank.
The biggest headaches - and expenses - may be for boaters with fiberglass fuel tanks.
The tanks, which were put in boats in the mid-1980s and earlier, can deteriorate in the presence of the ethanol. In a handful of documented cases, tanks have leaked, creating a potentially explosive situation, Fort said.
At Onset Bay Marina, Galvin has replaced four fuel tanks and has more waiting. The costs can run $800 to $1,500 for a tank and $3,000 for labor.
''It is good for us, but it isn't too good for boat owner. We have some boat owners here who have chosen not to put them in (the water) for the season,'' Galvin said. ''It's unfortunate to see people not be able to use their boats.''
But some boat owners, such as Rick Schaffer, whose boats have fiberglass tanks, are hoping their tanks last one more season. Schaffer, who docks his Bertram 33 Sport Fish at Green Pond Marina, said he is frustrated with the lack of reliable information available from the boat builder. ''That is the one fear factor we all have, that our tanks will be compromised and we will be blown up and die while we are on our way,'' Schaffer said.
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Good fishing 2006
hey Numbskull!!!!!!!!!
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