You already likely fuel your vehicle with a 10 percent ethanol blend (E10), but did you also know you can power your boat with it too? There’s a boating tournament this Friday and Saturday in Farmerville, about 90 miles from Bossier, where you can check out ethanol-powered boats in action.
The third stop of the 2018 Crappie Masters Tournament Trail is at Lake D’Arbonne. What is special about this tournament is it’s the only one to highlight and boost the awareness of ethanol in marine engines. In fact, the winners of the 2017 Crappie Masters Tournament even noted that fueling with E10 played a factor in their championship, yielding great performance for their team.
Due to a barrage of misinformation, it takes real world examples to establish the facts and that’s exactly why the Renewable Fuels Association, which represents U.S. ethanol producers, is again the co-title sponsor of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail this year.
E10 is safe to use in all boat engines and boat manufacturers from Honda to Mercury Marine specifically approve the use of E10 in their watercraft right in the owner’s manual. For nearly 30 years, E10 has helped to power boats and other marine applications, providing the lowest-cost, cleanest-burning fuel on the planet.
While E10 is approved for use in all marine engines, higher ethanol blends, such as E15, are not. But because the EPA requires E15 and higher ethanol blends to be clearly labeled at the pump, boaters need not be concerned. Over six years of E15 sales, there has not been a single reported case of E15 misfueling in a marine engine.
If you own a boat or are a fan of fishing tournaments, come on out to Lake D’Arbonne on Friday and Saturday and witness why ethanol is the fuel of choice for boat owners in competition.
-Robert White, Olathe, Kansas
