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USCG
Auxiliary column
 Is
there ethanol in your gas?
Much has been written in the
past year or so on the subject of ethanol as an additive to gasoline
to boost its octane rating and also to make a cleaner burning fuel.
A mixture of 90 percent
gasoline and 10 percent ethanol fills the bill and is becoming more
available at service stations around the nation and in the Atlanta
area. Automobiles seem to handle the mixture pretty well, but what
about boats? There is considerable concern in this area and tests
have been done and are continuing to be done to help answer this
question.
The Coast Guard and the Coast
Guard Auxiliary are heavily invested in the safety of recreational
and commercial boaters, and it is from this background this article
is being written. Ethanol has two characteristics that make it
troublesome for boaters. It is a solvent and it attracts water. As a
solvent, studies have shown that it can dissolve gunk off the inside
of gas tanks, clog filters and stop engines. It also has the
capacity to dissolve fiberglass fuel tank walls, and many older
model boats have fiberglass tanks. Having the potential to attract
water through the tank’s vent (car tanks don’t have vents) and
separate itself from the gasoline, means that it will settle to the
bottom of the tank, where the fuel line feeds from the tank to the
boat’s engine.
The state of Oregon passed a law
in 2007 requiring that all fuel contain 10 percent ethanol, but the
law was amended, and effective January 1, 2009, gasoline sold in
Oregon for use in boats, aircraft, gasoline powered tools and
classic cars will be exempt from the 2007 law.
We teach in our safe boating
courses that approximately 90 percent of boats are trailerable,
meaning that the owners have the capacity to buy their fuel at
service stations. This is where you are most likely to find the
“E-10” fuel. Marinas will most likely continue to carry the
gasoline without ethanol. I have noticed that some service stations
offering the E-10 have a label on the pump. Even if there is no
label on the pump, one would be prudent to ask before pumping. If
your boat does not have a water separating fuel filter, you should
probably consider having one installed in your fuel line. If you
have an aluminum fuel tank and elect to use E-10, and don’t use your
boat often, water will find its way into your fuel tank and the
filter will help.
I urge you to watch boating
publications for additional information on this important safety
subject.
USCGA offers safe boating
course July 19
Flotilla 29 of the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary, Lake Lanier, announces a one-day, seven-lesson
“About Boating Safely” course.
The course is set for July 19 at
the Coast Guard Auxiliary Operations Center, Lights Ferry Road, on
the left just before entering Aqualand Marina. This course also
serves as a PWC certified course for children under the age of 16.
Classes run from 8:30 a.m. until
4:30 p.m., and cost is $30. Class size is limited.
Course contents include:
• Know your boat
• Before you get underway
• Navigating the waterways
• Operating your vessel safely
• Legal requirements of boating
• Boating emergencies
• Enjoying watersports
Successful completion of this
course may result in a reduction in your boat’s insurance premium.
For additional information and
information on registering for this course, please contact: Dave
Wall, public education officer, Flotilla 29, at (770) 904-6340 or
auxiliaryclass@bellsouth.net.
Courses being offered by
Flotilla 22, Lake Allatoona, include “About Boating Safely” on
August 2. For additional information, please contact Dave Fuller
(770) 421-9902 or
davenest@comcast.net.
For additional
information on the Auxiliary and its missions on Lanier, contact:
• Flotilla 29
Lake Lanier at (770)425-4252 (our web site is currently under
renovation.)
• For information
about public education courses, please contact Dave Wall, Flotilla
Public Education Officer, at 770 904-6340 or email,
auxiliaryclass@bellsouth.net.
Roy Crittenden is public affairs officer, Division 2,
member, Flotilla 29.
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