Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Federal Ethanol Fuel Mandates and Changing Fuel Supply Demand Boater Vigilance

FedGov is our enemy:

WASHINGTON, DC – As the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer boating season, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) and National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) urge boaters to be mindful when selecting fuel for their boats, especially as the federal government’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is increasing the risk of consumer misfueling. Even one mistake at the pump can be the source of expensive, warranty voiding repairs and dangerous engine failure.

“Boaters can’t assume that every fuel sold at gas stations will work in marine engines,” said BoatUS President Margaret Podlich, “Boats can only run on 10% or less ethanol content (E10) fuel – and we know many boaters prefer to use ethanol-free (E0) when possible. Unfortunately, as a result of the federal ethanol fuel mandates (RFS), boaters may face a much harder time this summer finding the E0 fuel they want. And with more E15 (gasoline with 15% ethanol) forced into the fuel supply by the RFS, the threat of accidental misfueling—especially at gas stations with blender pumps—is growing.”

“Our priority is always to keep boaters safe,” said NMMA President Thom Dammrich. “By increasing the share of fuels in the marketplace that are unsafe for marine engines, the federal government’s RFS is putting boaters at risk. Research shows the costly price of accidentally misfueling a boat with E15 can include stalling, corrosion, fuel leaks, damaged valves and complete engine failure – each of which could put boaters and their safety in jeopardy. Now more than ever, with E15 on the rise, the threat of misfueling is real.”

An estimated Ninety-five percent of boats are filled at retail gas stations, but a 2016 Harris Poll commissioned by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute found a startling 60 percent of consumers believe any gas sold at retail stations is suitable for all engines and products. Further, only 36 percent know E15 is harmful to some engines – with just five percent aware that its use in those engines is also illegal.

The federal ethanol mandates, known as the RFS, require increasing amounts of biofuels—including corn ethanol—to be blended into the US fuel supply every year. This growing mandate forces higher quantities of fuels such as E15 into the marketplace, often at the expense of E0 ethanol-free fuel, and even though fuels with more than 10 percent ethanol are illegal to use in marine engines, motorcycles, outdoor power equipment and cars model year 2000 and older.

Though the government is aware that the RFS is changing the makeup of the fuel supply, it has undertaken no serious education campaign—beyond requiring small warning labels on fuel pumps—to inform boaters and other consumers about the problems they may face from improper or accidental fueling. The boating industry and others have sought to fill the gap and inform the public about the need to be vigilant when fueling and not assume that just because a gas station sells several fuel types from the same pump that each is suitable for marine engines.

For more information on proper marine fueling, fuel-related maintenance, and boating industry efforts to reform federal ethanol mandates and the supply of E0 fuel, visit BoatUS at BoatUS.com and the National Marine Manufacturers Association at www.NMMA.org.

http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?ID=1202#.V288ucfMtLM

I have to travel quite a ways to get non-ethanol fuel,

I'm almost glad I don't own a boat, but there are still weed whackers and chainsaws to deal with.

There should be an option for non-ethanol gas at most stations, but that is just dreaming, I guess.

Myron

This Renewable Fuel Standard is getting out of hand, just more crap courtesy of the Save the Earth Freaks.

An isolated community of about 5,000 here. We have two stations and the local airport carrying non ethanol fuel. Expensive, but damned well worth it.

Not just the Earf Muffins. The corn producers jumped right on it, but you won't hear that because they were working it in the back rooms unseen.

Typical green crap. Costs more, and doesn't work as well.

I frigging HATE Ethanol with a passion. Of course all the city, Starbuck drinking f a gs and women don't know the difference between any of it and it's not their concern.

I'm grateful that I have a number of places nearby that sell non-ethanol. It's all I use equipment.

After rebuilding my chainsaw and boat motor carbs at the same time I'll never run the crap again in any small engine.

Ethanol needs to be done away with!

My wife's car can take E85, but highway mileage goes from 38 to 28mpg, which of course means more fill ups and more taxes.

Back when Hillary was senator from NYS, she was behind the push for ethanol, getting a pile of federal money to convert a Miller brewery to ethanol production, among others.

Large corn farmers are the biggest culprits.

Looks like somebody has been huffing the E-10 vapors.....do I need to guess who Brian Sowers is voting for this November??

Angling for ethanol

By Brian Sowers, co-host of Crappie Masters TV

On the Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail, there’s one thing every top angler has in common, and it sure isn’t bait. It’s fuel. In fact, 100 percent of our fishing champions use the same blend of 10 percent ethanol (E10) that powers nearly every car in the U.S. These competitors are tough. They take pride in having the best equipment possible. And not a single one has ever reported anything but satisfaction with ethanol-blended gasoline.

So lawmakers can be forgiven for their surprise when the oil industry claims that renewable fuels are a threat to small engines and boaters. The truth is that ethanol blends are ideal for watercraft, and companies like Kawasaki, Mercury Marine, OMC, Pleasurecraft, Tigershark, Tracker, Honda, and Yamaha all approve the use of E10 in their machines.

The same is true in the racing community. The National Boat Racing Association exclusively uses E10 for all their races. Other serious power boaters use blends up to E90, because it provides a massive octane boost that burns clean and cool. According to Keith Holmes, President and Owner of CK Motorsports, the introduction of ethanol blends has helped extend the life of many engine parts by 25 to 50 percent. (wtf?????)

Of course, better engine performance is just one reason to support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which pushes oil companies to give renewable fuels a place in America’s energy mix. Many boaters put a high premium on freedom, and the RFS is vital to breaking America’s dependence on foreign oil cartels. Every truckload of ethanol displaces more than 60 barrels of imported oil from politically unstable regions, and that keeps more money in American hands.

For many sportsmen, however, having better choices at the fuel pump is all about protecting lakes, rivers, and other recreational waterways. Ethanol helps to reduce the pollutants fossil fuels leave behind, preserving human health and marine life. And because it has a high oxygen content, ethanol displaces toxic additives like MTBE, an oil-derivative (edit- mandated by FedGov back in the 1990's) with an ongoing legacy of groundwater contamination. Just recently, ExxonMobil was forced to pay $30 million to the town of Charlton in Worcester County, Massachusetts, where MTBE contaminated water supplies for the local elementary school and other sites.

The RFS has also been the single most successful tool for combating carbon emissions. On average, corn ethanol reduces CO2 emissions by 34 percent and advanced biofuels can reduce emissions by 100 percent or more over gasoline, according to Argonne National Lab. No other policy provides a better pathway towards cleaning up our liquid transportation fuels, just as no other climate policy offers a better way to provide consumers with energy options that are more affordable – not less.

Like many, I hope to take my own grandkids fishing and pass along my love of a great American pastime. That requires today’s generation to make smart choices that protect our air and water. The RFS is a vital part of that bipartisan effort. Today, most U.S. gasoline is a ten percent blend of clean, renewable biofuel. With strong support from policymakers, that share will continue to grow.

As expected, the Obama administration recently proposed modest 2017 blending targets for ethanol and advanced biofuels. Now is the time for lawmakers and sportsmen alike to let the administration know that America must stay committed to achieving higher blends of clean-burning, home-grown fuel. Let’s call on them to get it right.

~ Mr. Sowers is Co-Host of Crappie Masters TV, covering the Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail based in Clinton, Missouri.

http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_101982.shtml

He sounds like a paid shill for the ethanol industry. There is some car mechanic that has a weekend AM radio show around my parts who is a paid shill and always pumping up ethanol. One place I worked had a S-10 pickup truck that ran on E85. It seemed like you could never go anywhere without refueling it. A real dog, too.

"... advanced biofuels can reduce emissions by 100 percent or more over gasoline, according to Argonne National Lab."

Another product of public schools...

And an idiot!

Of course he's right, when things stop running emissions are reduced 100%.

Of course! Diluted (corn) gasoline puts out less energy per pound than straight gasoline, and costs more. Mr. Sowers also fails to mention that race engines converted to corn fuel have a modified fuel system.

On top of the fact that ethanol has less available energy per gallon, it also needs higher compression to help extract what energy it has. So if your engine will run on anything from straight gas to E85 it will not be getting all of what could be had from the E85.

I drive by that former brewery frequently. Don't care much for Miller beer, but I'd rather see them making that.

I had no problem running ten percent ethanol in my boats when I was running them a lot, like several times a week each, nine months of the year. It's when it sits for a while the problems start. Now I only run ethanol in my vehicle. Boats, small engines of all kind I go to the trouble of getting ethanol free gas.

There is a app for iPhone & Android called "Pure Gas". It will tell you all the stations near you that sells Non ethanol gas.
I thought there was only one station near me that had it. After getting the app I found out there were seven stations within 5 miles of me that carry it. I use it all the time while traveling on the Harley or fishing up north.

I don't run ethanol, at all - period...

The industry can take that chit and stuff it..