Hamilton Reef
02-16-2007, 10:12 AM
Unlabeled ethanol a hazard to boaters
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1171635322111580.xml&coll=6
02/16/07 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor hmeyerson@grpress.com
For all the good that is expected to come from ethanol -- fostering energy independence and boosting farm economies -- boaters have little reason to smile. In fact, they actually have every reason to frown.
Ethanol, even E-10, the gasoline and 10 percent ethanol mix, is a hazard for boaters. And what's worse is that boaters never may know they are putting it in their tanks.
"Public Act 116, which was amended and became effective Jan. 1, 2004, removes the (warning) label on anything with 10 percent or less ethanol," Celeste Bennett, program manager for the motor fuels quality section of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, said.
At issue for boaters is the fact that even 10 percent ethanol content causes three types of problems, the last of which can prove deadly.
First is a gunk problem.
Gunky junk
"It's a solvent that will clean your tank," said Bob Adriance, technical director for Boat U.S., a national boat owners organization with more than 650,000 members. "The gunk it cleans can clog the filter. And if the filter pores are too large, it will go through and clog the carburetor."
Adriance said the problem is more pronounced in boats than cars because fuel tends to sit longer in boats. Automobile or truck tanks are regularly drained and refilled.
It's a problem that can be overcome, but it is likely to require changing the filter frequently until the gunk is gone. Once that happens, he said, the motor will run just fine.
"You might have to rebuild the carb, but the problem does go away," he said.
Alcohol separates from gas
Second is a goop problem. Alcohol attracts water, even from vapor, which causes it to separate from the gas and sink to the bottom of the tank. This happens more with boats than cars because boats sit for months often partially filled and their fuel tanks vent to the outside.
"You are liable to end up with all three: a clump of ethanol soaked with water, water and straight gas that's octane is now lower because the ethanol has separated," Adriance said.
"Most experts say the engine is not going to run on that stuff and equally troublesome is having a tankful of gasoline you need to dispose of."
Adriance advises boaters to top off their tanks, especially in storage, to reduce "the lung effect" caused by changing temperatures, which draws moist air into the tank.
Third is a gunk issue with a potentially deadly bang.
Polyethylene, stainless steel and aluminum fuel tanks are impervious to ethanol, but fiberglass tanks, like those found on old, vintage boats like Bertrams or Hattaras cruisers and others, are not.
Ethanol will cause the fiberglass fuel tanks to disintegrate. First it dissolves the resins, which get drawn into the engine, where they form a nasty black film and gunk that will wreck the engine.
But even worse is the
problem of weakening the tank itself or older fuel hoses, which can result in gasoline spilling into the bilge -- where it can cause a fire or explosion.
"Once you put it into the tank, it deteriorates very quickly," said Adriance. "Then you have to pay someone to remove the tank and engine."
A problem is that boaters often cannot tell if they have a fiberglass tank. The used-boat market is huge in Michigan. Buying used doesn't guarantee any information.
Older boat manufacturers may be out of business. Even marine surveys may not specify tank material.
Older fuel lines also are susceptible. A boat owner may not be able to tell if the lines have been changed to the U.S. Coast Guard-approved J1527 hoses for ethanol.
"If the boat is really old, just don't even put it in," said Adriance.
That, of course, assumes boaters know what they are buying. Which, in Michigan, they don't. Without a warning label it is impossible to tell if they are buying gas or gas mixed with 10 percent or less ethanol.
Van Snider, the president of the Michigan Boating Industries Association, said he is concerned about the issue but has not yet looked into what marinas are selling.
"We need to investigate," he said. "We have not surveyed our marinas to know if they are selling E-10."
Snider hasn't heard of a problem yet in Michigan. But he did contact his Boston Whaler dealer to see whether the hoses and tanks on his old whaler could be replaced.
Elsewhere, the problem is well known. A September 2006 Wall Street Journal article reported on horror stories and complaints from all around the country. Some marinas are just steering clear of ethanol.
"My relatives are soybean and corn farmers and they love it that the prices have skyrocketed, but we use Amoco premium here, because so many are afraid of ethanol," Christopher VanOosterhaut, director of E-business and retail at Torresen Marine in Muskegon, said.
Boaters should be afraid, too, unless they know what kind of equipment they have and what they are putting in their tank. Adriance said newer boats may live with E-10 but are not likely to do so with E-20.
As the state moves to bring more biofuels like ethanol to market, truth in labeling is going to become important to boaters. In a state that sells itself as the water wonderland, with nearly a million registered boats, it also should be important to state policy makers.
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1171635322111580.xml&coll=6
02/16/07 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor hmeyerson@grpress.com
For all the good that is expected to come from ethanol -- fostering energy independence and boosting farm economies -- boaters have little reason to smile. In fact, they actually have every reason to frown.
Ethanol, even E-10, the gasoline and 10 percent ethanol mix, is a hazard for boaters. And what's worse is that boaters never may know they are putting it in their tanks.
"Public Act 116, which was amended and became effective Jan. 1, 2004, removes the (warning) label on anything with 10 percent or less ethanol," Celeste Bennett, program manager for the motor fuels quality section of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, said.
At issue for boaters is the fact that even 10 percent ethanol content causes three types of problems, the last of which can prove deadly.
First is a gunk problem.
Gunky junk
"It's a solvent that will clean your tank," said Bob Adriance, technical director for Boat U.S., a national boat owners organization with more than 650,000 members. "The gunk it cleans can clog the filter. And if the filter pores are too large, it will go through and clog the carburetor."
Adriance said the problem is more pronounced in boats than cars because fuel tends to sit longer in boats. Automobile or truck tanks are regularly drained and refilled.
It's a problem that can be overcome, but it is likely to require changing the filter frequently until the gunk is gone. Once that happens, he said, the motor will run just fine.
"You might have to rebuild the carb, but the problem does go away," he said.
Alcohol separates from gas
Second is a goop problem. Alcohol attracts water, even from vapor, which causes it to separate from the gas and sink to the bottom of the tank. This happens more with boats than cars because boats sit for months often partially filled and their fuel tanks vent to the outside.
"You are liable to end up with all three: a clump of ethanol soaked with water, water and straight gas that's octane is now lower because the ethanol has separated," Adriance said.
"Most experts say the engine is not going to run on that stuff and equally troublesome is having a tankful of gasoline you need to dispose of."
Adriance advises boaters to top off their tanks, especially in storage, to reduce "the lung effect" caused by changing temperatures, which draws moist air into the tank.
Third is a gunk issue with a potentially deadly bang.
Polyethylene, stainless steel and aluminum fuel tanks are impervious to ethanol, but fiberglass tanks, like those found on old, vintage boats like Bertrams or Hattaras cruisers and others, are not.
Ethanol will cause the fiberglass fuel tanks to disintegrate. First it dissolves the resins, which get drawn into the engine, where they form a nasty black film and gunk that will wreck the engine.
But even worse is the
problem of weakening the tank itself or older fuel hoses, which can result in gasoline spilling into the bilge -- where it can cause a fire or explosion.
"Once you put it into the tank, it deteriorates very quickly," said Adriance. "Then you have to pay someone to remove the tank and engine."
A problem is that boaters often cannot tell if they have a fiberglass tank. The used-boat market is huge in Michigan. Buying used doesn't guarantee any information.
Older boat manufacturers may be out of business. Even marine surveys may not specify tank material.
Older fuel lines also are susceptible. A boat owner may not be able to tell if the lines have been changed to the U.S. Coast Guard-approved J1527 hoses for ethanol.
"If the boat is really old, just don't even put it in," said Adriance.
That, of course, assumes boaters know what they are buying. Which, in Michigan, they don't. Without a warning label it is impossible to tell if they are buying gas or gas mixed with 10 percent or less ethanol.
Van Snider, the president of the Michigan Boating Industries Association, said he is concerned about the issue but has not yet looked into what marinas are selling.
"We need to investigate," he said. "We have not surveyed our marinas to know if they are selling E-10."
Snider hasn't heard of a problem yet in Michigan. But he did contact his Boston Whaler dealer to see whether the hoses and tanks on his old whaler could be replaced.
Elsewhere, the problem is well known. A September 2006 Wall Street Journal article reported on horror stories and complaints from all around the country. Some marinas are just steering clear of ethanol.
"My relatives are soybean and corn farmers and they love it that the prices have skyrocketed, but we use Amoco premium here, because so many are afraid of ethanol," Christopher VanOosterhaut, director of E-business and retail at Torresen Marine in Muskegon, said.
Boaters should be afraid, too, unless they know what kind of equipment they have and what they are putting in their tank. Adriance said newer boats may live with E-10 but are not likely to do so with E-20.
As the state moves to bring more biofuels like ethanol to market, truth in labeling is going to become important to boaters. In a state that sells itself as the water wonderland, with nearly a million registered boats, it also should be important to state policy makers.