Shore fuel vs marina fuel

clayvis

clayvis

Member
Apr 21, 2012
73
Lake Lanier, GA
Boat Info
2005 Sea Ray 180 Sport
Engines
3.0L Mercruiser 135
I've pulled the boat out of the marina and am curious as to how regular gas station gas will do compared to the gas I was getting at the marina. Im guessing the difference (aside from $5/gallon at the marina) is it doesn't contain ethanol. What will regular station gas do to my boat (Mercruiser 3.0) and is there any way around having to fill up at the marina?
 
E-10 gas has a storage life of 90 days. You may have seen this in my post recently but if you didn't: I have a friend in the gas blending and wholesale business, he says 87 octane E-10 is made of 84 octane gasoline and high octane ethanol to get to the 87 octane final blend. The 93 octane is made the same way starting with 90 octane gas and so on. My carbed 7.4 runs and starts WAY better on 91 octane gas over the 93 octane E-10.

This means that a significant portion of your octane is literally rotting in your tank if you use E-10 and do not consume it in 90 days. (Quality straight gas has a stable life of 1 year.) I run E-10 in my truck all the time with no issues and no additive for over 100k but fill it once a week, it always has fresh gas. Most boaters do not fill their boat every week or so year-round. Some try to stretch a tank or two over the entire season, so what do you do if E-10 is the only gas available? Treat it.

So the next issue is with what? I use the Startron, it was suggested to me at purchase and in 2 seasons on a 13 year old boat I have had NO fuel issues and I have had to run some E-10. I have spent $75 on a couple of seasons worth and feel it is good insurance. As for your original question, Lucas Oil is a reputable company. I know several people that use their products including the "Safeguard Ethanol Fuel Conditioner with Stabilizers" for their snowmobiles etc. but no one in their boats.

You can look for non-ethanol gas in your area here: http://www.pure-gas.org/


http://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=GA

MM
 
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I would stay far away from the "Corn Juice". Much better to pay the xtra and not have problems. It is a 3.0. How much would you save? 50.00 year? Not worth it!
 
Makes sense... When we go out we usually put 5 gallons in her each time... should I fill her up and let the un-used gas sit while being stored? We go out one/2 random days throughout the week. Its currently being stored in a dry/covered storage yard
 
clayvis said:
Makes sense... When we go out we usually put 5 gallons in her each time... should I fill her up and let the un-used gas sit while being stored? We go out one/2 random days throughout the week. Its currently being stored in a dry/covered storage yard
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5 gals at a time! Man I miss my trailer boat days...

I use valve tech fuels and also run sea foam a few times a year. It helps keep the fuel fresh and will clean out deposits or junk that may be inline.

Agree with the rest that a few $ more is better then a problem down the road! No pun intended
 
Another issue with E10 is the fuel filter problems you run into the first few times you use it.
 
Ethanol is hydroscopic and thus has a great affinity for water. It will readily absorb the moisture from the fuel tank atmosphere and turn that into a awful mess in the bottom of your tank. Leaving E10 for any length of time in a boat is bad news because eventually it will build up enough gunk to reach the pickup level. One moment you're cruising happily and the next you're not.

Ethanol fuels also suffer phase separation after they have been sitting for a while, especially in the presence of moisture. The ethanol separates from the gasoline/petrol and you are left with low octane gas and muck in the tank.

Never use ethanol fuels in boats or power equipment likely to be used in a high moisture environment or which will be left sitting for a long time. You should see what it does to carburetor fuel bowls and jets.
 
I've always ran non ethanol gas since we bought the boat which we have taken out all winter long at least once a month. My biggest concern with ethanol is what it will do to the older gas tanks and fuel lines I have 2 stihl units both have been recalled by stihl because the gas caps were made with a plastic that warped from it. They were a combi unit and an ms260 pro both of them leaked because of warpage if you could get them back on. If you use ethanol check your fuel lines to make sure they are made for use with it. Agree with all that has been said above.
 
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After reading threads like this I got scared and moved up to a diesel boat....JK.

On a serious note, when I had my boats on trailer I always filled up at the road stations (that's kind of obvious fuel savings). The difference we have is around $0.50 p/g. Other than saving few bucks there was no difference in fuel quality, b/c all NJ stations contain E. When I decided to move my 240DA to a slip I only filled it up once on the road (when taking her home before winterizing). Other than that I really couldn't justify the hassle of bringing the trailer to the marina, putting her back on the trailer and go to a fuel station.

I never used any additives for my gas boats, except when winterizing and never had any issues. I guess, as Mike pointed out about 90 days, what kept me from having troubles I was always using my boats and refueling. So, this is one other reason why where it benefits to use your boat more often.
 
I always run marine Stabil no matter what fuel I use. Most of the time I use road gas, but my boat lives in my garage and in South Texas the winter is fairly short. Just for an experiment I am going to get some E 10 and put in a glass jar and date it to see how long it really lasts. I will do a treated and non treated and see what the results are.

I also have a 1969 model jet boat with fiberglass fuel tanks. The E-10 ate the tanks and lines like there is no tomorrow. I now have some aluminum tanks I need to install in it.
 
Red Horse said:
I always run marine Stabil no matter what fuel I use. Most of the time I use road gas, but my boat lives in my garage and in South Texas the winter is fairly short. Just for an experiment I am going to get some E 10 and put in a glass jar and date it to see how long it really lasts. I will do a treated and non treated and see what the results are.

I also have a 1969 model jet boat with fiberglass fuel tanks. The E-10 ate the tanks and lines like there is no tomorrow. I now have some aluminum tanks I need to install in it.
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What do you think your experiment will show?

MM
 
Not too sure at this point. I want to see how long does it take for phase separation with or without stabil, maybe test a few other stabilizers as well. Once I have the fuel for specific periods of time I could take a measured amount and see how long it takes to burn. Just to give me an idea of what is, or hopefully not happening in the dark reaches of my tank.
 
Gas station fuel is around $3.60 for 87. Marina fuel is $5.00 for non ethanol 90, if this influences y'alls reply. Also, again, what are thoughts about filling up vs putting a few gallons in each time I take her out? I want to do what's best for the engine, but I also want to be economical.
 
With the fuel burn of the 3.0, I don't think you'd save enough to worry about it or even to spend the money on additives. This would be a factor if the boat in question had big block twins...of course then the price and time required to haul it, even on your own trailer, would make it pointless as well probably. I'd just buy marina gas, the $7.00 difference in each 5 gallon fill up would be worth it to me.
 
My best friend (and personal mechanic) recommended this in the boat if I want to use regular gas station fuel. He uses it in his bass boat - so does a couple more people I work with. What are yalls (the experts, I call) thoughts? The savings are significant using shore fuel (3.50 vs 5.00 @ marina). I could always put in a few gallons to try... http://www.goldeagle.com/products/product3CC6.aspx
 
clayvis said:
Makes sense... When we go out we usually put 5 gallons in her each time... should I fill her up and let the un-used gas sit while being stored? We go out one/2 random days throughout the week. Its currently being stored in a dry/covered storage yard
Click to expand...

clayvis said:
My best friend (and personal mechanic) recommended this in the boat if I want to use regular gas station fuel. He uses it in his bass boat - so does a couple more people I work with. What are yalls (the experts, I call) thoughts? The savings are significant using shore fuel (3.50 vs 5.00 @ marina). I could always put in a few gallons to try... http://www.goldeagle.com/products/product3CC6.aspx
Click to expand...
Use the stabilizer. Fill 'er up. Run it down and fill it up again, save some time instead of stopping for 5gal of gas each time and putting in a little dab of stabilizer. You only have about 20 gal tank on your boat. Regardless of what you hear about ethanol it doesn't instantly go to heck when it reaches 90 days old.
 
Hello

Stabil is all i use in my boat but up here it dosnt matter where you fill up all stations around here have ethenol in the gas and price isnt much different here 3.89 on land 4.22 at my marina so it dosnt make much difference but if you trailer your boat to stop andfill up at the gas station and saving a few bucks it cant hurt so long as you use the stabil to help neutralize the ethenol
 
So which grade at tje gas station should I use? Was putting in "90" at the marina
 
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