If you listen to the myths circulated by some so-called boating advocates, you would think that American boaters and fishermen can’t get out on the water this summer because they’re so confused about what type of gas to buy.
Today, a new poll released by CK Motorsports, a premier certified Mercury Marine Engine & Racing service dealer, and Growth Energy answers that question and finds that despite the arguments offered by National Marine Manufacturers’ Association, 94% of American boaters find it easy to pick the right fuel and are confident in their selection.
“Critics of the ethanol industry often claim that offering higher ethanol blends would confuse boaters and cause misfueling issues, but that is simply not the case,” said Keith Holmes, owner of CK Motorsports – a premier certified Mercury Marine Engine & Racing service dealer and Throttleman of the American Ethanol Cat Can Do Catamaran. “Ninety-seven percent of the nation’s fuel supply 
is E10 – gasoline that contains 10 percent ethanol – and all current boat engines are warrantied for E10 and have been for nearly two decades. Labels at the gas pump clearly indicate the ethanol content of the fuel, and boaters report that picking the right option is easy and worry free.”
This is the same message that Fuels America heard last year on the same topic when we hosted a briefing by users and mechanics who all shared the same view.
- Joel Hennen, President and Owner of Hennen’s Auto Service in Shakopee, Minnesota said, “We serve communities on the Minnesota River and Prior Lake, and our customers expect to have choices at the pump.” “Companies like Kawasaki, Mercury Marine, OMC, Pleasurecraft, Tigershark, Tracker, Honda, and Yamaha all approve the use of E10 in their engines. The labels are clear, and whether customers have a flex fuel vehicle or a race boat, we make it easy to pick the most affordable option with the lowest emissions.”
- “One hundred percent of the winners on our tournament trail use an ethanol blend in their tanks,” said Brian Sowers, Co-Host of Crappie Masters TV, covering the Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail based in Clinton, Missouri. The CrappieMasters All American Tournament Trail is a fishing tournament that offers a cash prize to their winners if they use ethanol in their tanks. They go so far as to use a lie detector for their winners to be sure they’ve used ethanol before they get the prize.
From left to right: Marc Rauch, Executive Vice President and Co-Publisher at the Auto Channel; Joel Hennen, President and Owner of Hennen’s Auto Service; Brian Sowers, Co-Host of Crappie Masters TV; & Keith Holmes, President and Owner of CK Motorsports
- “It doesn’t matter whether a boat has a two-stroke or four-stroke engine, an in-board or out-board motor, or a built-in or portable fuel tank,” said Marc Rauch, Executive Vice President and Co-Publisher at the Auto Channel, based in Louisville, Kentucky. “Decades of experience with modern engines shows that E10 is the best fuel for marine applications. As an oxygen booster, ethanol replaces toxins like MTBE, which are notorious for contaminating water supplies.”
Today’s poll cements what we’ve known all along: American boaters know what they’re doing. They read labels every day on gas pumps and pick the gas they want for their boat, whether it is E0 or E10. They don’t choose E15 because the pump says it’s not approved for boat engines.
The RFS is driving investment in clean, renewable fuels that protect the air and the marine environment, break the link between the U.S. economy and global oil markets controlled by forces like OPEC. The RFS is not forcing boaters to use a particular fuel.