This morning's press release from Boat US:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Scott Croft, 703-461-2864,
Date: October 23, 2006

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT E-10 ETHANOL FUEL
AND WINTER BOAT LAYUP

This spring and with little prior notice, recreational boaters in most
parts of the country were introduced to gasoline containing higher
concentrations of ethanol, a corn-based additive that replaced a known
carcinogen, MTBE. The new fuel, dubbed "E-10" for its 10% ethanol
content, unfortunately has the ability to attract greater amounts of
water and "phase separate," or form two separate solutions in the gas
tank, usually over a long period of time. Once this happens, the engine
won't run and internal damage could occur.

With the lengthy winter lay up period upon us, many boaters are asking
how they should store their boat over the winter to prevent fuel
problems next year. The BoatU.S. damage prevention newsletter,
Seaworthy, tackles the problem in its October issue and has these
recommendations:

· Once phase separation occurs in E-10 gasoline, additives and
water separators can't help. The only remedy is to have the gas and
ethanol/water professionally removed from the tank.

· With any fuel that sits in a tank for a long time, it's important
to add a stabilizer. But understand that stabilizers do not prevent
phase separation.

· E-10 has been a fact of life in certain areas of the Midwest for
over a decade and there have been relatively few problems. The best
practical recommendation learned from marina operators in the region is
to top off a boat's fuel tanks to about 95% full, leaving room for
expansion. A tank that is almost full limits the flow of air into and
out of the vent, which reduces the chance of condensation adding water
to the fuel. Draining fuel tanks of E-10 gas, while completely
eliminating any chances of phase separation, is potentially dangerous
and an impractical solution.

· Whether you believe your boat's fuel tanks are half full or half
empty, leaving a tank partially filled is a bad move. A Midwest marina
owner confirmed that phase separation problems typically occurred when
boats were stored over the winter with tanks only one quarter to
one-half full. In the summer, infrequently used boats with partially
filled tanks are also prone to phase separation.

· Never try to plug up a fuel tank vent to prevent moist air from
entering a tank. Without room to expand, the additional pressure could
rupture fuel system components.

All BoatU.S. marine insurance policy holders get a free subscription to
Seaworthy. Subscriptions are also available for $10 a year (4 issues)
by going to BoatUS.com/seaworthy or by calling 800-262-8082, ext.
3276. If you'd like to get a free insurance quote for your boat, go to
http://BoatUS.com/Insurance or call 800-283-2883.

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
This morning's press release from Boat US:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Scott Croft, 703-461-2864,
Date: October 23, 2006

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT E-10 ETHANOL FUEL
AND WINTER BOAT LAYUP

This spring and with little prior notice, recreational boaters in most
parts of the country were introduced to gasoline containing higher
concentrations of ethanol, a corn-based additive that replaced a known
carcinogen, MTBE. The new fuel, dubbed "E-10" for its 10% ethanol
content, unfortunately has the ability to attract greater amounts of
water and "phase separate," or form two separate solutions in the gas
tank, usually over a long period of time. Once this happens, the engine
won't run and internal damage could occur.


Gotta love those diesels!

Eisboch

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
This morning's press release from Boat US:


This release seems fact-based, as opposed to too many that simply scream
"we're doomed, the gas is awful!" For many boaters in the north the storage
period could be 6 months; will gasoline with a fuel stabilizer suffer phase
separation in that time? I think the answer is "no"; keep the tank full and
use fuel stabilizer.