Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: Crossing to Bimini
Crossing to Bimini
Posted: 14 Jun 2016 04:21 AM PDT
Looking for boating buddy to cross to Bimini July 8th. Return date is flexible.
You only have to spend a short time talking with Randy Mims to know that he has the soul of a true sailor. Randy not only built his 27ft gaff-rigged cutter, Ideath, but each year he single-hands the cutter from North Carolina to the Northern Gulf Coast and back again. “Ideath” is pronounced Idea-th and loosely translates as “house of ideas”. Randy stops along the way to visit maritime museums and, indulging his passion for music, he volunteers to sing in church choirs along the way. He also takes time to share his travels with his friends and has agreed to allow SSECN to post his emails. For more photos and more on Randy, go to http://towndock.net/shippingnews/ideath?pg=1 from TownDock.net in Oriental. See previous installment: /156986.
Dear Friends,
I am sending this update from LaBelle, Florida. It is located on the Caloosahatchee river in the Okeechobee waterway. I have crossed Lake Okeechobee numerous times both under sail and power depending on the wind. The first time, the wind quit completely and I anchored for the night. The next morning it was so absolutely calm that I spent half a day marveling at how quiet it was. When you are in the middle of a vast body of water and it is so still there is nothing to reflect sound , you can yell as loud as you can and as soon as it leaves your mouth it is like it is just absorbed by the universe. There are two possible routes to the a other side. There is the directly across way which I have always taken and what is called the rim route. Because of disastrous floods in the 1920’s, a channel was dug around the lake and the rock and dirt was used to build the “Herbert Hoover Dike”. This channel has always been too shallow to allow Ideath to try. This year I was pleased to learn that the lake is over two feet above the normal full pool. I have always wanted to experience this route even though it is eleven mile further. Many marsh islands and habitats dot the length of this channel. Near Belle Glade there is a park on Torry Island which is reached by an antique “hand operated” swing bridge. After calling the bridge tender and requesting an opening, a young man walked to the center of the bridge and inserted what looked like about an eight foot long metal tube into the deck of the bridge at about a 45 degree angle and began pushing it around in a circle. Obviously pretty hard to get moving, once he got it going it seemed pretty easy to get it all the way open. One added bonus was that during the entire operation no cars were waiting behind the swing arm barricades. I spent a wonderful day watching clouds of birds and aquatic flowering plants of all descriptions glide past. One of the best things about voyaging on Ideath is that no matter how long I have been doing it, there are always the opportunities to go somewhere or do something that I have always wanted to do but was prevented by some circumstance. Always be ready to take advantage of of an opportunity to do something or be someone when the universe makes it possible. I am starting to get close enough to the end of the voyage that I find myself longing to be there and wishing that it would never end. I hope your adventure is just as fantastic.
Love and Peace to you all,
Randy
S.M. Stevenson is looking for crew to assist a lengthy voyage north from St. Augustine. If you are interested, give him or her a call.
Looking for a method to find cruise mate for adventure up the east coast from St. Augustine to Canada. Already underway and leaving St. Augustine shortly.
52 ft. Sea Ray
cell no. 636-751-8833
I am on Islesboro, ME. stop by when you are here. I am at Warren Landing on the North East side of the island. Free mooring and a grocery store near by.
Construction of Canaveral Lock began in June of 2015, see /149146. Local boaters will especially pleased that the work is now completed, see /156537 and /156009. Canaveral Barge Canal, with a single 600X90ft lock, crosses Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island and intersects the Waterway at statute mile 894. Our thanks to Officer Skolte for this update.
Canaveral Lock returns to normal operating hours 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily
Canaveral Lock guidewall construction is complete; Canaveral lock is back to normal operating hours, 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily.
Thanks for your patience during the construction period.
Please share this information on social media on the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict/ and retweet @JaxStrong.
Sign up for Notices to Navigation: http://bit.ly/1PDwSHe
Thanks as always for helping us to get the word out to the public!
Erica
Erica Skolte
Public Affairs Specialist
Corporate Communications Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
South Florida Restoration Office, West Palm Beach
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Port Canaveral Lock
Thanks to Bill Schreiber for this bridge removal information. Stay tuned for details of necessary closures related to the demolition of the old bridge and construction of the new.
Not sure if you know. The Daytona Memorial Bridge (SM 830.6), the southern most bridge in Daytona, has just started a total replacement. Work started on June 6th and will take approximately three years. The bridge will be totally removed and a new high rise (65 ft vertical) bridge will replace same. The bascule lifts are currently in the fully up position and will remain so until removal of same; hence there is no current restriction, other than slow speed, on navigation in the immediate area. Work barges are on scene and will remain until near total replacement is finished. Eventually, some vessel traffic restrictions will be in place for bascule removal and for demolition of the old span but time frame is unknown at current time.
I will, if you wish, send further info as it becomes available. USCG station Ponce Inlet would be a good source for information.
Respectfully,
Capt. Bill Schreiber
USCG Merchant Marine Masters License
Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Memorial Bridge
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Memorial Bridge
Yesterday, June 8th, was World Oceans Day and the many reports and editorials in the news give us a lot to ponder about the health of the water that surrounds us all. This article is from the United Nations.
2016 Theme: Healthy oceans, healthy planet
Plastic bottles and garbage from a nearby village wash on the shores of a river and then spill into the sea in Dili, Timor-Leste. UN Photo/Martine Perret
The ocean is the heart of our planet. Like your heart pumping blood to every part of your body, the ocean connects people across the Earth, no matter where we live. The ocean regulates the climate, feeds millions of people every year, produces oxygen, is the home to an incredible array of wildlife, provides us with important medicines, and so much more! In order to ensure the health and safety of our communities and future generations, it’s imperative that we take the responsibility to care for the ocean as it cares for us.
This year, the theme is Healthy oceans, healthy planet, and we’re making a special effort to stop plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution is a serious threat because it degrades very slowly, polluting waterways for a very long time. In addition, plastic pollution impacts the health of aquatic animals because animals including zooplankton mistake the microbeads for food. Scientists also fear health impacts for humans.
CLICK HERE for more.
In case you haven’t seen this story. We called these “nettles” in the Chesapeake and they can make a trip overboard miserable. A poultice of Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer was the remedy of choice for us. This report is from AOL.com.
Sea lice are infesting Gulf Coast beaches
Tiny creatures are lurking in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The nearly invisible creatures are known as sea lice and can cause an itchy rash and even flu like symptoms.
Although the small creatures are almost undetectable to the human eye, their sting packs a huge punch. The itchy rash they cause, known as “ocean itch” or “seabather’s eruption,” can last for days but luckily it goes away on its own. Applying an oatmeal preparation and calamine lotion can soothe the itch.
According to Florida Department of Public Health, “outbreaks of seabather’s eruption occur intermittently between March and August, but they appear to peak during early April through early July.”
The appearance of sea lice during the summer months is caused by shifts in south Florida’s current and the highest incidence of cases of seabather’s eruption occur in Palm Beach County and Northern Broward County.
Sea lice are the larvae of adult jellyfish and their small size sometimes causes them to get stuck between a swimmers’ skin and their swim suit, clothes or hair, which causes them to sting.
Swimmers can reduce their chances of getting seabather’s eruption by avoiding wearing T-shirts while in the ocean and changing out of their bathing suits as soon as possible after exiting from the water.
This advice on Gulf Coast Florida comes in response to folks about to make the voyage south from northern Florida. All the marinas listed below can be found in our Western Florida Marina Directory accessed from our Homepage.
Keep in mind that scallop season starts the 25th of June which will be an issue gaining dockage the closer you get to this date. That said there are many nice marinas reminiscent of old time Florida along the Big Bend area. Don’t expect anything fancy but you will receive great friendship and clean accommodations. All the marinas I’ll mention can handle a 3 foot draft and then some. Be cautious of the depth in this area.
1) Swanee River has two: Swanee River marina 352 542 9159 & Gateway Marina 352 542 7349 Call the local BoatUS Tow for current channel depths and USE THE NORTH channel NOT the river.
2) Yankee Town; YT marina 352 447 2529; Best talk with Helen 352-447-5888; Riverside 352-447-2890 This is one of my favorite stops.
3) Crystal River: Petes’s 352 795 3302 & Twin River 352 795 3552 This area thinks highly of there dock space but if you’ve never been to Crystal River the stop might be nice.
4) Now to my favorite river the Steinhatchee: For a nice motel with dockage call Shelter Cove. They have recently been bought out by Ideal Marine so you can be the first to review them. 352 498 5707/352-210-1781. There are also Good Times Motel never been there 352 498-8088; SeaHag 352 498-3008 lots wakes; River Haven my favorite 352 498-0709/352-356=2904.This is outland Florida so best to phone in advance to qualify all your requirements.
Gaz
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: Help
Help
Posted: 05 Jun 2016 02:22 PM PDT
Good day all. Planning trip from Grand Bahama to Acklins. Is there a known channel between the southern tip of the tongue of the ocean to the crooked island passage, for vessel drawing 15′ water? Thanking in advance.
If you mean going down west of the Exumas, at 15′, absolutely no way!. Your best option is to head for Exuma Sound , if you can get through into it and then down the east side of Long Island. Otherwise you have a long sail either outside Eleuthra and Cat Island or south of Andros, long sails either way.
But your objective, The Acklins is well worth it. All the out islands are friendly, but we have never received a warmer welcome than at Landrail Point (Crooked Island). Excellent wall dive just a few hundred yards off the beach.
The New Bern Grand Marina lies in the heart of downtown New Bern, North Carolina, along Trent River’s northern banks between the low-level Trent River highway and railroad bridges.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New Bern Grand Marina
Hague Marina is located in a sheltered loop on the Waterway’s southern shore some 2.4 nautical miles southwest of the Myrtle Beach high-rise and railroad bridge.
They had a fantastic ships store but it burned. Owner is making do right now with small office building.
Fabrication shop and tools were not damaged in fire, so they can still do anything you need. Not fancy, but gets job done. My brother worked there from 1972-2013. He quit to be a Restaurant Chef.
Frederick
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Hague Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Hague Marina
The Hague is a dump. Don’t get on the docks or you risk injury. Avoid at all cost. Unreliable power and water you shouldn’t drink. The owner is not concerned about “customer service” and is only interested in an offer for the property. The previous poster obviously had a misplaced loyalty to the owner…
Could you please respond in more detail about your experience with Hague Marina, and especially why you say, “don’t drink the water.”
Here is an unusual question for you armchair lawyers. Have any of you experienced such “aquatic squatting”? If you have suggestions, let us hear from you.
My question is how can one retain rights to a mooring and the tackle that she has put on it? I purchased a houseboat on a mooring off Islamorada, Florida Keys. I added chain and anchors and tackle to it and a mooring ball with my FL numbers. I used the houseboat for days at a time, but was not a full-time liveaboard. I left the mooring to spend a few months at a marina ashore in order to perform needed repairs. Now there is a man that hooked up to my mooring tackle and refuses to move. What can I do about it?
Captain Anne Baxter
I have contacted both the Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Friday. Yesterday I spoke with the FFWCC woman. She had checked on it and said that the Basin had been declared a sanctuary and that no one could moor or anchor in it. However there are already several boats on private moorings in there. One man had been there for 20 years. My houseboat was already on a private mooring when I bought it 5 years ago. She said the FFWCC will do nothing about this man’s takeover of my mooring and use of my mooring tackle. She said it is a civil matter. I asked why if someone car was stolen, the cops would search for the car and arrest the thief. My mooring tackle is still there but this person is using it and so perhaps it is a trespassing issue? Does anyone out there have any suggestions?
Bad news for motorists, good news for boaters – at least until inevitable repairs begin. With a closed vertical clearance of 7ft, Little River Swing Bridge crosses the ICW just south of SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR Harbougate Marina. This Associate Press report comes from The Daily Reporter, Greenfield, Indiana (!!).
A swinging bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway near North Myrtle Beach has been closed after the gearbox that moves the bridge broke.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: June 02, 2016 – 5:48 pm
Last Updated: June 02, 2016 – 5:48 pm
CLICK HERE for the full report.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Little River Swing Bridge
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harbourgate Marina
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: Bird Rock light restored
Bird Rock light restored
Posted: 02 Jun 2016 04:18 AM PDT
NOTICE TO MARINERS
(RBDF MAY 30th, 2016) The Aids to Navigation Section of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force wishes to advise mariners that the automatic light at Bird Rock Lighthouse, off Pitt’s Town, Crooked Island has been relit.
The light at Bird Rock is situated at Latitude 22° 50.7’N and Longitude 74° 21.6’W (Charts ACK 1 and ACK 2, pages 57 and 58 Explorer Chartbook Far Bahamas, Sixth Edition).
Any discrepancies with this or any navigational aid should be reported to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force at telephone number 362-4436 or by e-mail at aton@rbdf.gov.bs (For further information contact the RBDF Public Relations Department)
This aid was fixed on 30th May 2016 after being extinguished for some time. Technicians found evidence of vandalism, as the main cable from the batteries was severed by a sharp object and six of the eight solar panels were removed. The cable was reconnected and the technicians had to make do with the remaining two panels. These southern lighthouses are plagued by this sort of thing, rendering the aid extinguished.
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: New species of snake found on Conception Island
New species of snake found on Conception Island
Posted: 31 May 2016 10:47 AM PDT
(from an article in the National Geographic published May 26, 2016)
On an uninhabited island in the southern Bahamas, a scientist noticed a snake that shined like metal as it climbed a tree.
“We all came to take a look at it, and it was instantly clear that this was something different,” says biologist R. Graham Reynolds, part of the scientific team exploring the remote islands.
Expedition member Alberto Puente-Rolón, an expert on Caribbean boas, agreed that the animal appeared unlike any species of known boa.
So the team went searching for more boas, finding four more snakes before settling down to sleep on the beach at Conception Island. But it turns out the boas weren’t ready to call it a night. (See “Extremely Rare Fishing Snakes Discovered.”)
“Sometime around 3:30 in the morning, I woke up to something crawling across my face,” says Reynolds, now a biologist at the University of North Carolina, Asheville.
Another silver boa had come down from the forest and crawled right over him as he slept. They’d located their sixth specimen, and DNA analyses back at the lab confirmed the snake was a new species.
The scientists named the Conception Bank silver boa (Chilabothrus argentum), based on both its color and the fact it was first found on an aptly named silver palm tree. A study on the species appeared in the journal Breviora.
This report comes to us from good friend and avid cruiser, David Burnham, whose home port is Gulfport on Boca Ciega Bay, Gulf Coast. Renegades on the Water is on the eastern shore just south of Fruitland Cove between Little Lake George and Lake George of the St. Johns River.
We cruised our 28′ Catalina sailboat (3’9″ wing keel) down to Renegades Marina and RV park this past weekend. Because Renegades has 4 transient slips next to their GAS and DIESEL dock it should probably be added to the list of St Johns River Marinas. These slips appear to have 4-5′ of water depth although we did not get to sound all of them, only the one we used next to the fuel pier.
WE DID run aground on the shallows west of Renegades while approaching the fuel dock but backed off and came in again just a little to the south between the two charted shallow areas you encounter when coming in to Renegades from the north. Our chart plotter showed 6′ (or less) where we touched the bottom so we added a 3’9″ sounding to our Navionics Android GPS chart…
We ran aground AGAIN as we left Renegades the next afternoon, while following our inbound track on the chart plotter (no, NOT the SAME spot).
The best approach to Renegades if you draw more than 3′ is to go south to the green navigational mark just past Renegades, then turn East and approach from the southwest to stay south of the shallow areas that are to the West of Renegades…
Great Tiki Bar and really good food and drinks… http://renegadesontheriver.com/db/
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Renegades on the Water
JIB Yacht Club is really more of a marina than a club and it flanks the eastern shores of the Waterway, immediately north of Jupiter Inlet.
JIB Yacht Club is a convenient marina to the Jupiter Inlet. Very tight inside the marina. Marina has very helpful staff. However, there is no laundry, no cable TV, no Wi-Fi and the showers/restrooms are in need of upgrades and cleaning. Diesel and gas fuel is available. Pool is very busy on weekends from locals.
Joanne Kindlund
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of JIB Yacht Club Marina
Local and onsite , near by Big Diesel Marine 772 215 7663
BURKEY MARINE GROUP MOBILE MARINE DIESEL WEST PALM BEACH
11/26/2014 5 Comments
Burkey Marine Group 772-215-7663 West Palm Beach
PLEASE CONTACT US TODAY FOR ESTIMATES ON THE FOLLOWING
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Engine surveys and trouble shooting
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Re-power / New installations
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James Lea’s comments are in response to a recent Local Notice re shoaling at Lockwood Folly. Cape Fear River intersects the Waterway at Mile 309. Little River Inlet lies south and east of the Waterway, right at the NC-SC state line, intersecting the Waterway at Mile 342.
This section of the ICW can be easily avoided in good weather by using Little River and Cape Fear River. Little River is well marked and frequently used by boats of all sizes. The currents in the Cape Fear River can be a challenge, particularly if the wind opposes current, but it is an all-weather entrance.
In six trips up and down the ICW we have never transited this section of the ICW [Lockwood Folly], always enjoying a nice sail while listening to all the VHF chatter about passing and depths. Highly recommended.
James Lea
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Cape Fear Inlet
Lockwoods Folly passing is no problem at this time! Just follow the markers as they move from time to time. If you want to be extra cautious travel through on a rising tide.
Robert Sherer, author of 2015 ICW Cruising Guide: A guide to navigating the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and frequent contributor to SSECN, has granted us permission to share a link to his Intracoastal Blog: http://fleetwing.blogspot.com/
Especially for those of you heading north for the summer, you will find many informative and entertaining reports on the waterways ahead of you. Such as this discussion of bridge heights near Cape May, NJ.
Bridge Height on the Cape May Canal – 58 ft at MLLW
Is your height less than 58 ft? If so you may be able to take the Cape May canal between Cape May and Delaware Bay. There are three factors to consider:
1 – The tide. It’s simply the predicted tide out of a tide table, easy to find for any time with a charting programs that allows the time to be varied with a display of the tide height. For the bridges, I use the Cape May Harbor tide station since it’s much closer to the two bridges than the ferry terminal station.
2 – The actual vs predicted water level. NOAA maintains a family of tide stations that show the actual water level vs the predicted water level. They are not generally known but there is such a station at the ferry terminal at Cape May. It will display either a graph or a spreadsheet showing the actual vs predicted tide height. Most helpfully, the data can be accessed in real time over the internet at NOAA Cape May water level site. Here’s a shorter link: tinyurl.com/zpzojfc. The water level varies due to weather conditions such as a strong on-shore wind blowing water into the bay or a heavy rain upriver when the flow reaches Cape May. An easterly 15 kt wind will easily raise the water level a foot as will heavy rains up the river. During tropical storms and winds greater than 20 kts the water level can be dramatically higher, 2 to 3 ft or more.
3 – The real bridge height. Unfortunately, data does not support a 55 ft bridge height at high tide provided the height boards are accurate, see photos.
The water level as reported by NOAA at the ferry terminal station was running 0.7 ft above the predicted tide level. There had been heavy rains up the river the day before. So what is the real bridge height? Over the years I’ve used 58 ft at low tide as the starting point for figuring passages. Take a look at the low tide picture. The total water level above MLLW was 0.4 + 0.7 = 1.1 ft. If you add that 1.1 ft to the displayed number on the height board (57.2 ft) then you get pretty close to 58 ft at 0.0 MLLW with no water level delta (actually in this example 58.3 ft). With the three numbers I’ve developed an equation for computing bridge clearance:
Clearance under bridge = 58 ft – Tide Height – Water Level Delta of predicted vs actual
As long as your mast height is less than the clearance from the formula above, you’ll clear the bridge.
Note that the tide height and water level delta can be positive or negative numbers. The equation works either way. The crucial bit of information is the real bridge height of 58 ft at MLLW. The number started out from my experience with a dozen transits and it looks to be a little conservative by 0.3 ft. I haven’t yet confirmed this but you probably have a few more inches if you avoid the red light hanging down from the middle of the bridge. As I said earlier, I’ve used this formula a dozen times with success. In fact one year I was going through and was called over the VHF to STOP! (their emphasis), I was going to hit! This was before height boards were added. I double checked my figures and proceeded onward with no problem. The experience does highlight the difficulty in judging bridge heights as you approach a bridge. You would swear you are going to hit, your angle of view will lead you to believe that – but you won’t if you follow the formula.
Standard Disclaimer: the captain always take full responsibility for his actions, I believe the above advice to be accurate and I’ve followed it myself many times in my sailboat with a 55 ft 3 inch mast, once with the height board reading 56 ft.
Robert Sherer
BoatUS remains the premiere advocate for boaters and boating safety on all waters and SSECN is proud to present BoatUS News.
NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
BoatUS: Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, scroft@boatus.com
NMMA: Lauren Dunn, 202-737-9752, ldunn@
Edleman Public Relations: Kelly Curran, 419-206-0210, kelly.curran@edelman.com
One mistake at the fuel pump this summer could be costly for boaters who misfuel and inadvertently dispense unapproved, high ethanol blends into the boat’s gas tank.
At Launch of Boating Season, BoatUS and NMMA Caution About Fuel Choice, Misfueling Risks
Federal Ethanol Fuel Mandates and Changing Fuel Supply Demand Boater Vigilance
WASHINGTON, DC, May 26, 2016 – As the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer boating season, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) and National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) urge boaters to be mindful when selecting fuel for their boats, especially as the federal government’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is increasing the risk of consumer misfueling. Even one mistake at the pump can be the source of expensive, warranty voiding repairs and dangerous engine failure.
“Boaters can’t assume that every fuel sold at gas stations will work in marine engines,” said BoatUS President Margaret Podlich, “Boats can only run on 10% or less ethanol content (E10) fuel – and we know many boaters prefer to use ethanol-free (E0) when possible. Unfortunately, as a result of the federal ethanol fuel mandates (RFS), boaters may face a much harder time this summer finding the E0 fuel they want. And with more E15 (gasoline with 15% ethanol) forced into the fuel supply by the RFS, the threat of accidental misfueling—especially at gas stations with blender pumps—is growing.”
“Our priority is always to keep boaters safe,” said NMMA President Thom Dammrich. “By increasing the share of fuels in the marketplace that are unsafe for marine engines, the federal government’s RFS is putting boaters at risk. Research shows the costly price of accidentally misfueling a boat with E15 can include stalling, corrosion, fuel leaks, damaged valves and complete engine failure – each of which could put boaters and their safety in jeopardy. Now more than ever, with E15 on the rise, the threat of misfueling is real.”
An estimated Ninety-five percent of boats are filled at retail gas stations, but a 2016 Harris Poll commissioned by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute found a startling 60 percent of consumers believe any gas sold at retail stations is suitable for all engines and products. Further, only 36 percent know E15 is harmful to some engines – with just five percent aware that its use in those engines is also illegal.
The federal ethanol mandates, known as the RFS, require increasing amounts of biofuels—including corn ethanol—to be blended into the US fuel supply every year. This growing mandate forces higher quantities of fuels such as E15 into the marketplace, often at the expense of E0 ethanol-free fuel, and even though fuels with more than 10 percent ethanol are illegal to use in marine engines, motorcycles, outdoor power equipment and cars model year 2000 and older.
Though the government is aware that the RFS is changing the makeup of the fuel supply, it has undertaken no serious education campaign—beyond requiring small warning labels on fuel pumps—to inform boaters and other consumers about the problems they may face from improper or accidental fueling. The boating industry and others have sought to fill the gap and inform the public about the need to be vigilant when fueling and not assume that just because a gas station sells several fuel types from the same pump that each is suitable for marine engines.
For more information on proper marine fueling, fuel-related maintenance, and boating industry efforts to reform federal ethanol mandates and the supply of E0 fuel, visit BoatUS at BoatUS.com and the National Marine Manufacturers Association at NMMA.org.
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):
Celebrating 50 years in 2016, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with over a half million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins, and on the water, we bring boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, day or night. The BoatUS Insurance Program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need, and we help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
About National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA):
The National Marine Manufacturers Association is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the US and Canada. Find more information at NMMA.org.
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