By Jack Spaulding

There’s been a lot of pain at the pump lately with gas prices, and Washington’s recent move to lower the price of fuel at the pumps may have severe consequences for boat and small engine owners.

The Biden administration’s April 12 move to give a waiver from the Clean Air Act to allow the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15) during the summer months is intended to lower costs and stretch the nation’s fuel supply. However, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) said the unintended consequence of the waiver could inadvertently put a harmful fuel prohibited for use in recreational vessels into your boat’s gas tank.

BoatUS noted recreational vessels are never compatible with E15. It is not permitted by federal law to use E15 fuel in boats as well as motorcycles, off-road vehicles and power equipment.  Using it voids the engine warranty, and it has been proven to cause damage to marine engines. It also causes engines to run hotter and contains less energy than E10. Recreational vessel engines may only use gasoline containing no more than 10 percent ethanol (E10).

“While we understand the need to save money, we are concerned that fuel retailers may market E15 fuel, such as ‘regular 88’ or ‘regular unleaded’ as a lower cost alternative to E10,” said David Kennedy, BoatUS manager of government affairs. “And therein lies the problem – the majority of recreational boats are refueled at roadside gas stations and, with almost no safeguards in place, there is a real chance that boat owners, looking for a bargain, will misfuel their boats with E15 fuel.”

E15 dispensing pumps have a poor warning regime, sometimes just a single orange label on the pump, which is ineffective at informing consumers. A 2020 Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) poll shows that only about one in five consumers know that “regular 88” – or 88 octane fuel – has more ethanol (15 percent) in it than 87 octane (10 percent ethanol) fuel.

Kennedy further explains: “To refuel, boaters head to their local gas station with the boat in tow for a fill-up. Newer tow vehicles may be compatible with E15. “Regular 88” is selected and dispensed into tow vehicle’s gas tank. Then the boater pulls the trailer rig forward to refuel the boat. Without a clear understanding, the “Regular 88” fuel dispensing nozzle is put in the boat’s fuel tank fill, and you soon end up with a tank full of prohibited E15 fuel.”

Without the waiver, E15 fuels are prohibited for sale during the summer dates of June 1 to Sept. 15 as a way to address the higher ethanol fuel’s contribution to ground level ozone or smog on hot days.

The administration’s April 12 “fact sheet” also noted USDA is considering additional action to facilitate the use of E15 year-round and other actions to significantly increase the sale and use of higher blends of ethanol fuels.

It is also noted EPA is considering modifications to pump labeling. “That is something BoatUS fully supports,” Kennedy added.

Owners of boat motors, motorcycles and other small engines can be “proactive” in countering the effects of ethanol enhanced fuel by utilizing several premium additive products in the market place. Additive products are manufactured by Lucas Oil, STABIL and Ethanol Shield.

Spring Mill hosts village tasting experience

Sample the offerings of central and southern Indiana distilleries during Spring Mill State Park’s first Village Tasting Experience on June 11, 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m., in the park’s Pioneer Village.  The event will help raise money to purchase a still and improve displays for the park’s own 1824 village distillery.

The event cost is $30 for individuals staying at Spring Mill Inn or the park’s campground and $40 for everyone else. The cost includes a sample from all distilleries in attendance. All other purchases from the businesses must be made in cash.

Participants must be 21 or older and show identification upon arrival. A shuttle service will be provided to and from the campground and inn. Individuals not staying at Spring Mill Inn or the park campground must have a designated driver with them. Free soft drinks and appetizers will be available for the designated driver. The event will go on rain or shine.

Registration is required by June 8 and can be made by calling 812-849-3534 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily. The event is limited to the first 300 people to register. Payment must be made when registering. There are no refunds.

Park admission during the event is $7 per vehicle for in-state residents and $9 per vehicle for out-of-state residents. Spring Mill State Park (on.IN.gov/springmillsp) is at 3333 State Road 60 East, Mitchell, 47446.

Spring Mill garlic mustard pull

Help Spring Mill State Park manage invasive species by attending a garlic mustard pull April 30 from 9 a.m.-noon. The event will start at the Pioneer Village parking lot with instructions on how to identify the plant and other invasive plant species. Participants will then be given a map, a bag, and an area in which to work.

At 11 a.m., participants will meet back at the parking lot. All bags will be weighed, and the individual who has collected the heaviest bag will receive a 2022 Indiana State Park pass. A free lunch will be served from 11:15 a.m. to noon for the pullers.

To register, call the park at 812-849-3534 or email interpretive naturalist Sheree Belt at sbelt@dnr.IN.gov. Non-registered volunteers are welcome, but registered volunteers will receive food tickets first.

The pull is a Weed Wrangle® Indiana event sponsored by State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management (SICIM) in partnership with Lawrence County Keep Invasives in Check and the Friends of Spring Mill. Weed Wrangles are hosted nationally to control invasive species negatively affecting public parks, green spaces, and natural areas. For more information, see weedwrangle.org.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.