Gas

[21 Tuff Fan]

Hi guys, I was wondering how many people bring their own gas cans to fill their boats or do you get gas from the marina?

Thanks, Michael

[Scream And Fly]

Whenever possible I always avoided getting gas from marinas unless absolutely necessary. Aside from marinas pricing gas much higher than road stations, I've received gas of questionable quality several times from on-water marinas.
The ideal solution at events is to just trailer your boat to a road station before you need to run it.

[tux974]

Welcome aboard :thumbsup:
I agree with above post about always trying to purchase your fuel off the water. The fuel on the water is questionable at best especially if it is an older station.

[Raceman]

I always use cans for several reasons. First, there's no Super Unleaded on the lake here and a station within 2 miles of my house has Ethanol free Super for over a buck a gallon cheaper than the mid grade on the lake. With the gas the 280's on my Talon use it's worth the haul, especially since I can back the truck right down my ramp and load 'em directly in my boathouse. In that we've burned 30 or 40 gallons a weekend most of this summer it's been worth the trouble. I've tried a lot of different options to make it easier including one of those 30 gallon gas caddies, but they're too heavy and cumbersome. The local SeaDoo store carries the square upright gas jugs with the HUGE screw off lid and big rubber floppy hose for about 30 bucks and these still have a vent in 'em too. They hold 6 gallons plus oil and are the best option for totin' gas I've run across. I've got 6 of 'em now and am going to get 4 more when he gets some more in.

Those stupid no spill cans they sell now with no vents and the auto shut off spout that empties at a slow drizzle make re fueling in volume miserable.

[patchesII]

You're right Raceman. I use race jugs to fill my mower's 10 gal tank. The EPA has even screwed up a simple gas can

[DoktorC]

Hi guys, I was wondering how many people bring their own gas cans to fill their boats or do you get gas from the marina?

Thanks, Michael

It really depends on the marina (I work at one so take this with a grain of salt lol). We pump ethanol free mid and check our tank (which is above ground) DAILY for water. We are definitely more expensive than road gas but you pay for convenience and IMO better fuel. We have ONE station locally that sells ethanol free fuel...one.

That being said I have to buy road gas because (like Raceman) my boat needs Premium...and I keep my boat on the trailer so I can fill it at the station on my way in to the marina. If my boat lived at the marina there's no way I'd go through the hassle of toting can's and trying to get the gas from the can to the boat without scratching the boat or spilling fuel in it...not worth the extra $20 to me (and I ain't rich)..

[Jamescole]

I always fill up once in town. But then once I'm in the water I fill up at doktorC's marina more than once a weekend. Convenience.

[Paramount 21 2007]

I recently bought some TUFF JUGS from Jegs that are awesome. Pours 5 gallons super quick. The gas can are terrible.

[CDave]

I trailer me boat to a gas station and fill her up, but add oil first. But I am a poor boy who doesn't have a house on the water.

Has anyone else noticed gas degrading faster than before? Even the gas I get without Alcohol seems to degrade faster these days.

[Raceman]

It really depends on the marina (I work at one so take this with a grain of salt lol). We pump ethanol free mid and check our tank (which is above ground) DAILY for water. We are definitely more expensive than road gas but you pay for convenience and IMO better fuel. We have ONE station locally that sells ethanol free fuel...one.

That being said I have to buy road gas because (like Raceman) my boat needs Premium...and I keep my boat on the trailer so I can fill it at the station on my way in to the marina. If my boat lived at the marina there's no way I'd go through the hassle of toting can's and trying to get the gas from the can to the boat without scratching the boat or spilling fuel in it...not worth the extra $20 to me (and I ain't rich)..

There's something I can't figure out about these marinas around here that are claiming now to have ethanol free mid grade. Tanker trucks don't have but 3 compartments. Regular, super and diesel. Gas stations have the same number of tanks in the ground. To get mid grade the pumps mix super and regular. If a marina is only selling regular and mid, then it's being mixed in his tank as it comes off the truck. I've never seen anybody advertise regular without ethanol. So if the tanker is mixing the regular and super to give the 2 pump station a load of mid, why doesn't it have some level of ethanol? I bought a test kit about a year ago, but haven't used it yet. I want to see if the stations that are claiming no ethanol are really selling it.

Incidentally, as far as 3 pump stations selling mid, an inlaw who owns an oil distributorship told me never to buy it. He said that the state does not check the mid pumps for content, only volume and that many stations have an artificially high percentage of regular in the mid to make the extra few cents a gallon. He said that based on their sales numbers some of them could be running as high as 80 or 85% regular in their mid grade mix.

[DoktorC]

There's something I can't figure out about these marinas around here that are claiming now to have ethanol free mid grade. Tanker trucks don't have but 3 compartments. Regular, super and diesel. Gas stations have the same number of tanks in the ground. To get mid grade the pumps mix super and regular. If a marina is only selling regular and mid, then it's being mixed in his tank as it comes off the truck. I've never seen anybody advertise regular without ethanol. So if the tanker is mixing the regular and super to give the 2 pump station a load of mid, why doesn't it have some level of ethanol? I bought a test kit about a year ago, but haven't used it yet. I want to see if the stations that are claiming no ethanol are really selling it.

Incidentally, as far as 3 pump stations selling mid, an inlaw who owns an oil distributorship told me never to buy it. He said that the state does not check the mid pumps for content, only volume and that many stations have an artificially high percentage of regular in the mid to make the extra few cents a gallon. He said that based on their sales numbers some of them could be running as high as 80 or 85% regular in their mid grade mix.

Our distributor AND the lone ethanol free gas station in town are 100% ethanol free in all grades....and the fuel truck that shows up has one tank so it must be mixed at the distributor. I have no proof that it is actually 89 octane but Jamescole's Yamaha lives on it :).

[Robby321]

On gas cans, I got 6 5 gallon old "Blitz" plastic cans, pull out spout with vent. Best plastic cans made for easy and fast flow. The new stuff simple SUCKS! And the marina here? $1 MORE a gallon than town. Screw that noise.

Tell ya the best way, lake front owners. Back the Fox Lake Chain we had a 300 gallon tank on stilts by the dock our house, that would be similar to what the farm guys had for filling tractors, etc. Guy said as long as we used 100 gallons a week, got a fill up during the week when he was doing the rounds to farms. Maybe a nickle more than town stations. Worth EVERY penny! Damn, between 3 houses, 6 boats, filling the cages and M/Cs, sleds in winter, we really used a lot! Can't beat the convenience! Honor system us, write down what took, pay up next week. But that was back in the 70's, so maybe be a EPA problem now..(what isn't?). And gas then was a bit over 50 cents a gallon!

[pointer]

Living in a refinery town, I have family and friends that work at the refinery, and the oil company that owns it.
The ethanol is blended at the refinery, and held it's own tank - same for other grades, diesel, jet, etc.
When ethanol became a reality here a few years ago, I asked my family / friends - from the refinery a truck can be loaded with 100% regular gas, no ethanol.
All of the marinas and snowmobile shacks now sell only premium fuel, go figure, at a good jack from road side pump price. I've paid double at a couple of snowmobile shacks, but when you need it you need it.

When I'm done boating the boat comes home with whatever gas is left. It doesn't get filled until the next trip to the ramp - trying to keep the fuel as fresh as possible. I've used 4 gallons of mixing oil through my Johnson 50 VRO this summer alone, not an issue with fuel (it's not in there long!)

pointer

[RBT]

Easiest for me is at our lake house we have a 250 gallon skid tank. Our local fuel distributor comes to the house and fills me up. I pay less than i would at a local gas station, it is ethanol free and available when ever I need it.

[JohnR]

Nought fuel 2 times on the water in the last 15 years. Both times on the Hudson and didn't have a choice. Once I ended up with a stalling problem at the end of the day, the other it was OK. I've only got a 30 gallon tank so as long as I don't let it get super low it's not a huge deal to throw a couple of cans in. The race can type jugs are by far the best. I stop on NJ at least once a week to fill up the commuter car so while I'm there I'll fill a few cans. 30 cents cheaper than the stations in NY and over a buck cheaper than the marinas.

[Robby321]

Easiest for me is at our lake house we have a 250 gallon skid tank. Our local fuel distributor comes to the house and fills me up. I pay less than i would at a local gas station, it is ethanol free and available when ever I need it.

Yep! Like said..."thats the way to go!". PLUS, you are helping a "entrepreneur", a truck and gas...LOW overhead! Not the town stations with all the tax, BS...a "brick and mortar" store front"

[Glasstream15]

Most of the Gate stations around JAX have pure gas. The one I use has a separate above ground tank for the alcohol free stuff. About 30 or 40 cents higher than premium but definitely worth it. On my way home from my part time job so I carry a couple of 5 gallon Blitz cans and fill them on the way home. The 89 no alcohol seems to make more power in my '86 inline than 93 alcohol premium, even with the timing dropped back 2 degrees. And not to far out of the way headed for the ramp so I can fill up that way too. Well worth some extra money but I'll do whatever I have to to avoid buying on the water.

[allstock]

The marina on our lake claims to have ethanol free premium, they sell it reasonable as well. The owner is a friend and a gear-head so I have no reason to doubt him. I know all my stuff runs great on his fuel and I'm DONE toting cans around, spillage etc. The only problem is my Yamaha has no real compression anyways and would probably run better on reg...