Gas vs. Diesel

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Moral of the story - if gasoline powered, take extra good care of your boat.

What about saying however your boat is powered and whatever fuel sources you have on it take good care. Safety is a philosophy and constant practice pertaining to all aspects. We all make safety choices and decisions every day of our lives.

A simple example outside this realm. I have a car most would consider somewhat unsafe. It's small, it's light, it's overpowered, and it often has no top. However, I do drive it as safely as I can and don't engage in high speed driving or racing or anything else of that nature.

On a boat there is some inherent danger every time you use it. I've decided to accept those. However, I do many things to minimize the danger. I don't let fly by night handymen wire electricity. I address any problems immediately. I have the bottom checked routinely and often including zincs and through hulls.

Wifey B: And he doesn't pee over the side of the boat....:D
 
BandB,
Why is your little car so over powered if you drive it so safely? My favorite little car is underpowered partly due to a slipping clutch. Great way to get really good millage. Sometimes it stops slipping and that's fun but I'm programed to only go 1/2 throttle. So I gather that you driving an overpowered car w no top that you'd be up for a gas boat if you had a bad lust for it. Me too.
 
BandB,
Why is your little car so over powered if you drive it so safely? My favorite little car is underpowered partly due to a slipping clutch. Great way to get really good millage. Sometimes it stops slipping and that's fun but I'm programed to only go 1/2 throttle. So I gather that you driving an overpowered car w no top that you'd be up for a gas boat if you had a bad lust for it. Me too.

I didn't even know anyone had diesel boats until mid 2012. All I'd ever been on was gas. If you get a center console or most dinghies and tenders are going to be gas.

At the same time I do understand those who say they'd never own one. You get certain images in your mind and it's hard to ever get beyond them.

And, no I don't get really good mileage, but better than the boat. More mpg. We drive our cars so little. Why so overpowered. It's got good acceleration. Can I admit totally illogical. Our dream cars we'll probably keep forever. At 4000 miles a year the should last. The advertised speed, I have no idea. It's like being up on the mountain and being told you're looking at 5 states. How do you know? There are no lines like on a map.
 
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We just spent the whole 5 day weekend playing aboard five (5) different gasoline powered boats; some fast some slow... two of em we own! All craft having very well cared for engines and fuel systems. Not sure if wife and I were spreading the risk, or increasing the risk by changing off and on really nice gas boats all weekend. We sure had great safe fun! Could die in highway collision tomorrow... I'll take enjoyable careful chances aboard good condition gasoline boats - Any Day!!!


Diesel powered boats can be great fun too... But.... don't be so fearful of gasoline that you may miss some of the fun!
 
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Art, you're probably one of the most active gasoholics here on TF. How do you deal with the ethanol issues on your boats? Any problems with the rubber or plastic components? Gaskets, hoses, tanks, etc? Filters for water issues?
 
Art, you're probably one of the most active gasoholics here on TF. How do you deal with the ethanol issues on your boats? Any problems with the rubber or plastic components? Gaskets, hoses, tanks, etc? Filters for water issues?

Hey Al... Thanks for asken!

I've mentioned this before, but most po pooed me as being a snake salesman; soooo I stopped mentioning.

I Have No Problems!

I always use, have had great results with, and highly recommend Soltron - for all fuels in all boats that do not often and fully change their entire fuel content in their tanks. IMO, not necessary in o/b 6 gal tanks unless they are to be left with same fuel inside for a long, long time.

Soltron - The enzyme fuel treatment for diesel and petrol engines

NAPA sells it. :thumb:
 
I checked out the link and searched all their pages for ethanol, but no mention of it.

Am I missing something?
 
I checked out the link and searched all their pages for ethanol, but no mention of it.

Am I missing something?

Al - Only item I found on that site is as "follows" in link below: Seven years ago when I began using Soltron there was a much more detailed website. One item previously mentioned in their past site that brought me to using it was that it stopped ethanol/dino fuel separation. The complete and very fast way it cleaned up the water and gunk out of fuel (gasoline) in our Tollycraft was nothing short of impressive. I've never found a spec of gunk or water again in my large spin on fuel filters. Whenever I check/change filters I pour all the filter's fuel into glass jar... perfectly clear every time.

"Improve fuel quality with Bio fuels" Soltron in commercial, industrial and road fuel

Maybe you ought to contact them from the website and ask question regarding ethanol fuels.


PS: "Edit" - Al... I just emailed them too regarding same. Maybe your question-form may get better/different response.
 
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As I see it, one big problem with gas boats is that not all boats are "Well Maintained". A cracked fitting, loose hose clamp or improperly installed filter can lead to a gas leak. Last year there was a meticulously maintained gas boat in the slip next to mine. Despite the boat looking better than new, there was ALWAYS a smell of gas around it. They clearly had a leak somewhere that needed fixing. I am very glad that it moved to a different slip on a different dock this year.

Furthermore, small leaks can be tough to track down and take time to fix. This season I had a tiny fuel leak on my boat. It was detected by smell, not by accumulation of fuel in the engine pan. After much checking I finally isolated it to a leaking crush washer on the return line on one of the injectors. It took wrapping the injectors in paper towels and running the engine for 2 hours to get enough fuel to leak out to be detectable on the toweling. I spent probably 2 weeks tracking that leak down and then had to wait an additional 2 days for the new parts to arrive before I could repair it. Fortunately I have a diesel boat, so the only problem was smell. On a gas boat the same leak would have created a fire/explosion hazard.
 
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Despite the boat looking better than new, there was ALWAYS a smell of gas around it. They clearly had a leak somewhere that needed fixing. I am very glad that it moved to a different slip on a different dock this year.
.

Should you have reported it to the marina? Would they have done anything?
 
The marina knew about it but didn't seem concerned.
 
A person can install a gas monitoring system on a boat for added safety if using gasoline or propane. This measures hydrocarbons in the bilge) and alarms before the LEL is reached. We use these in the oil and gas industry where there is any possible risk of of explosion. They do provide an very effective extra level of safety when dealing with flammables.

This one will automatically switch on you bilge blowers if a set level of hydrocarbon vapours is detected.

Selecting Vapor Detectors | West Marine

It will also detect other flammables sometimes left in a boat such as turpentine and acetone, which can leak and be much more dangerous than the gasoline or propane.
 
Al - Only item I found on that site is as "follows" in link below: Seven years ago when I began using Soltron there was a much more detailed website. One item previously mentioned in their past site that brought me to using it was that it stopped ethanol/dino fuel separation. The complete and very fast way it cleaned up the water and gunk out of fuel (gasoline) in our Tollycraft was nothing short of impressive. I've never found a spec of gunk or water again in my large spin on fuel filters. Whenever I check/change filters I pour all the filter's fuel into glass jar... perfectly clear every time.

"Improve fuel quality with Bio fuels" Soltron in commercial, industrial and road fuel

Maybe you ought to contact them from the website and ask question regarding ethanol fuels.


PS: "Edit" - Al... I just emailed them too regarding same. Maybe your question-form may get better/different response.

If their product could address the many concerns of ethanol, I'm sure it would be all over their website. I suspect they may have been making false claims and had to backtrack from those claims by removing the reference from the website.

I'll watch for your update.
 
The best solution for a gas boat seems to be tank management.

Come home with only one tank with fuel, and run it as far out as you dare.

Next trip the ethanol will absorb any water shocked out of the old gas .

Fill for the trip , not for full tanks, unless you find ethanol free gas.
 
A person can install a gas monitoring system on a boat for added safety if using gasoline or propane. This measures hydrocarbons in the bilge) and alarms before the LEL is reached. We use these in the oil and gas industry where there is any possible risk of of explosion. They do provide an very effective extra level of safety when dealing with flammables.

This one will automatically switch on you bilge blowers if a set level of hydrocarbon vapours is detected.

Selecting Vapor Detectors | West Marine

It will also detect other flammables sometimes left in a boat such as turpentine and acetone, which can leak and be much more dangerous than the gasoline or propane.

Those devices have become very popular and necessary on houseboats where vapors can come from the stern.
 
A person can install a gas monitoring system on a boat for added safety if using gasoline or propane. This measures hydrocarbons in the bilge) and alarms before the LEL is reached. We use these in the oil and gas industry where there is any possible risk of of explosion. They do provide an very effective extra level of safety when dealing with flammables.

This one will automatically switch on you bilge blowers if a set level of hydrocarbon vapours is detected.

Selecting Vapor Detectors | West Marine

It will also detect other flammables sometimes left in a boat such as turpentine and acetone, which can leak and be much more dangerous than the gasoline or propane.

I have propane on board so I have a propane detector that is set to shut off the solenoid valve in the propane locker. My insurance required it.
 
If their product could address the many concerns of ethanol, I'm sure it would be all over their website. I suspect they may have been making false claims and had to backtrack from those claims by removing the reference from the website.

I'll watch for your update.

Al - Hope I get return email from Soltron, regarding what effect it has on ethanol/fossil gasoline fuel separation. I've not experienced separation. To date (seven years and counting); since I used Soltron to clean substantial crud and water from my two 100 gal tanks' gas I've experienced no problem whatsoever. Engines start first time, every time! I use Soltron at each fuel stop. And, if a long duration comes into play between gas ups - I add a bit more Soltron! I never even bother to check to see if the fuel dock has or has not ethanol added in their mix.
 

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