(Photo: WBOC)OCEAN CITY, Md.- For three days you can get up close and personal with about 350 boats. The Ocean City Seaside Boat Show is back. So, start your engines. Well, if you can.
Environmental activists are pushing the throttle on mandating the use of ethanol fuel in boats.
"So for the EPA and the going-green people, it's wonderful, it's great," said Zachary Smith, of Ocean City. "But are they getting the $1,000 and $2,000 bill to fix the engine that is messed up, because they wanted lower emissions."
But some boaters, like Smith, are caught in the wake on that idea.
"It [ethanol gas] would break down and leave a substance behind that does not run through injectors very well," Smith said. "It does not run through filters very well. It would end up clogging it up and leaving you stranded out in the water."
Some boaters said even mentioning the words "ethanol fuel" are fighting words. They say the battle for better marine life and better engine life is one worth fighting for.
"Ethanol is killing boats," said Michael Murray, of Ocean City. "It's tearing them up. A lot of people have to do a lot more and put a lot of treatment in their fuel systems."
But there are ways experts say you can fight against ethanol fuel-related damages.
"You need to stabilize it, you want to make sure you keep stabilizer in it," said Smith. "Make sure you keep your tank top off of very close to empty.you don't want to give the fuel a chance to go bad."
Boating experts also recommend:
- Remove any loose particles that could clog the engine
- Always fuel your boat at a marina
- Fix any problems as quickly as possible before it worsens
