[RJS1950]

ALL gas is sold with an ethanol blend.

Where do you get that idea? The problem is that the ethanol blend usually is a few cents cheaper, so the boat owners buy that instead of the non-alcohol blends. They should know better. I use alcohol blends in my vehicles with absolutely no problems, I use non-alcohol blends in my mowers and for my small engine implements. This has been common knowledge for a long time.

[Kozak]

Look in some areas of the country, like Hawaii, Minnesota, Idaho and Wisconsin ALL that we can buy is ethanol blend, and it ain't cheaper.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Well, so far, the 10% ethanol gasoline being used in the mower when I mow my mom's lawn hasn't caused any problems.

[norwaypinesavage]

Several years ago, the EPA began requiring "oxygenated" fuels. The industry responded by adding MBTE to fuels. MBTE turned out to be a pollutant of wells and has been banned. In order to meet the "oxygenation" requirement, refiners began adding small amounts of ethanol to all fuels. This actually caused an ethanol shortage in the US and we are importing ethanol from Brazil. Ethanol causes several problems in boats. 1. It absorbs water, causing more corrosion in the fuel system. 2. It evaporates, reducing the octane of the fuel, resulting in spark knock if the fuel gets old. 3. It deteriorates rubber parts in the fuel system if it was not designed for ethanol. That being said, I think the biggest problem for old boat engines is unleaded fuel. It causes valve recession, resulting in failure of the heads, and costly engine repairs.