Ethanol’s Effects Bother Boaters
The Oregonian:
Concerns about Oregon’s new gasoline-ethanol law are rippling through the boating community, raising questions about whether a requirement meant for motorists should have waded into the nautical.
Ethanol absorbs water. And, in concentrated form, it’s corrosive. If boaters aren’t ready for the switch to 10% ethanol blends, they may have to contend with stalled boat engines, clogged filters and disintegrating components, marine operators and boat owners say.
State officials acknowledge the potential for frustration, or worse.
“Let’s say you’re crossing the (Columbia) bar, and your engine quits because it just gulped water,” said Paul Donheffner, director of the Oregon Marine Board, the state agency that oversees boater safety. “That could be a problem.”
Donheffner said lawmakers “may not have been thinking about boats, aircraft, small engines” when they passed a bill in 2007 that required gasoline to contain 10% ethanol, or E10. “It’s one of those things where it’s a law with good intentions, but it has unintended consequences.”
The Legislature, now in a brief special session, may amend the law to include certain exemptions, including boats and planes. Regardless of any Capitol action, some mechanics and major boating associations say a little care and maintenance can make most watercraft ethanol-compatible. Read more.
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