Pontoon Fuel

[Matt]

How do you guys feel about all the on the water suppliers of petrol (that I've found, anyway), only stocking 10% ethanol fuels. I think for waterborne use, the 5% ethanol fuel (97 octane too) might be more expensive, but the lower ethanol content is going to be better in a marine environment.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Nasher]

I think it's going to be a case of having to use what you can get when you need it, and making sure you've changed any fuel lines etc to the appropriate spec.

As a market we are not big enough to influence the Oil companies and legislators to give us 5% at the Pontoons.

[Matt]

From my historical conversations with Lallows, they just order a tanker of fuel in from one of the existing retailers on the island. So it's not influencing the oil company to produce the fuel, it's just influencing the retailer who buys it in to order the other fuel from their supplier.

But maybe most boat owners don't really mind, they just want cheap(er) stuff.

[smallribber]

With the boating I do I never buy Pontoon fuel. Sometimes it can be quite old andhave water in it. I tote Petrol cans from the normal petrol station. I find 2 10 ltr (actually will hold 11 ltrs) normally enough with what is already in the tank for a days boating

[Matt]

I try to avoid it. But many petrol stations do get the proper hump with me putting 100 litres into jerry cans, they've shut me off a few times.

But even then, I put the low ethanol stuff in - its a boat, it's a very moist environment.

[Dry Run]

From my experience of local waterside fuel pontoons, I'm more concerned with the amount of water in the fuel than the ethanol content

[Matt]

I popped in to Lallows this weeken to refuel and asked them.

They said they used to stock the 5% stuff, but everyone moaned at the price of 5% and went elsewhere for the fuel, so they switched back to the cheaper 10%.