Boat Gas - 2024
 

Goodhues pumps in Meredith are down so you'll need to make other plans. I wasn't happy paying $5.28 per gallon anyway.

winnigas.com
 

Check out www.winnigas.com for some up-to-date information on gas prices as reported on the site by users. I used this site often when I still had my boat to check on prices. (Thanks Rich for your contribution to making boating just a bit easier).

Dave

Is there any reason why you should use 93 octane in a boat? We have to use it in our car because it's a turbo. My boat needs at least 87 octane and it runs fine with it. We trailer the boat so we fill up on the way. And lately we fill up 5 gallon cans. I always add marine Stabil. We couldn't get gas at Goodhue twice last year and that and the price made lugging gas a better option.

carb or fuel injected?
 

Old higher-compression carb engines could run-on (what we used to call 'dieseling') after the ignition was cut. Modern FI engines just shut off the fuel. I had a V6 in a Maxum that did that and had to go to Y-landing for the high octane fuel...

The real benefit from Marine fuel (ie obtained at a dock) is that it is most likely ethanol-free. Lasts way longer, does not absorb water (which will eventually condense out), and is better on hoses and fittings. Filling up on the trailer is OK, but you best use that fuel in a few weeks and certainly within a few months. Sta-bil preserves the fuel, but doesn't help the alcohol issue..

Flight Craft at The Weirs was 4.50 and change when I was there last week. I didn't think that was too bad, actually.

Odd.
It works in both my generator and snowthrower, and those are always at the ready even in off-season.

I thought from prior posts on the forum that ethanol free gas is rare which suggests most have ethanol. And that would explain why all have additives. The problem with going to the weirs is that I need gas more than ice cream so that won't work.

Valvtect
 

Anyone selling Valvtect fuel is dispensing ethanol free

Good to know. Thanks!

I thought only Pier 19 was selling ethanol free. Looks like there are two kinds of valvtect per their web site: ethanol free and treated ethanol.

I'm not sure this correct. I believe valvetech marine has ethanol in it but it is treated with stabilizers to combat ethanol problems. That is what I was told at the marina.

Perhaps they are being intentionally ambiguous because their site and literature do not explicitly state "ethanol free" - at least that I could find. But here is a whole article about why ethanol is bad and it certainly implies that their fuel is free of it...

http://www.eldean.com/news/Alerts/Ethanol.pdf

Goodhue / Shep Browns has not had gas for several days. The rumor is it will not have gas for months.

That's what we heard too. But they have gas for their rentals. Looks like the inside pump is working.

Are you sure you have to use 93 in your turbo? My Passat had a recommended sticker on the inside of the gas tank door for 93 octane. After 5 years, switched to 87. Never had a problem. Car lasted another 10 years and final odometer reading was over 230K. Only got rid of it when the original clutch showed signs of going and the frame had rust.


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Do you know why?

It has a section on what to do if using ethanol gasoline and recommends its specific products.

It also on the section of ethanol being a solvent discusses how this can effect older resin fuel tanks, and ''strip'' sediment/build up requiring filter change outs.

The owners manual says to use premium so we do. I keep thinking I should try regular or mid range. I would run the tank down and only add a couple of gallons. And if it didn't run well I could top off with premium.

Many of today's turbo engines don't "need" premium but run better with it. For example, Ford lists two different sets of power numbers for their Ecoboost engines, one for 87 and one for 91+.

My Bronco absolutely performs better with super (and gets better mileage), and Top Tier at that.

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This is correct. To this point the newer "ecoboost" engines as Ford calls them, the owner then has to decide to a) pay more for the gas and the engine runs better and gets better gas milage or b) pay less and get less gas milage; and then see which is cheaper for them in the long run depending on how you drive a car.
I have a girlfriend years ago that got a Jetta Wolfsburg edition with a turbo. Within a year of putting 87 octane the engine had built uo a ton of carbon in the injectors and the car cut out on the highway (at least that is what the mechanics said at the time). They weren't going to put it under warranty because she used 87 octane until we pointed out the sticker on the gas cap said 87 and not 93. The Manual said 93 though. We finally won and they fixed it.
Different cars respond differently to different octanes is basically the lesson. And some engines run fine on any octane. I know some people that only use 101 in their small engine yard equipment. (still looking for a station that has that at the pump up here)

I've been doing a lot of googling about octane for boats and I think I found a compromise to my using 87. One poster said his first fill of the year is premium which he says/thinks helps with any octane lowering from the off season. I've been using 87 for 16 years while trailering with no issues and I'll continue to do so. There was a time when only the Y Landing had premium and now Goodhue has it. Every other marina listed on winnigas has 89. So that suggests premium is really not needed. Maybe back in the day of no speed limit the go fast boats could benefit from the extra boost. Not so much today.

Not true. Valvetec is an additive similar to Stabil. It is sometimes added to the unleaded fuel by the driver after filling the storage tank to ensure the proper dosage.


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Premium ?
 

The marinas almost all sell 89 octane and, to me, that seems to match up as a manufacturer's recommendation since they sell boats as well as gas. What's amazing on www.Winnigas.com is the huge price spread for an undifferentiated product. MVYC sells to members and the public, with a member discount. Not clear if the posted price of $4.29 is a public price or a member price. Do others do this discounting?

The earlier discussion focused on 87 octane (trailers) vs 93 Octane (Premium). Most smaller lakes do not have marinas and gas docks. What octane are these folks using, since there are several choices if you buy on the roadside?

Location is a big driver. I usually buy my car gas in-town Merrimack. Regular no-name is $3.29. But if you need gas on 93 in Hooksett you'll pay $3.79. For me that's never going to happen. I'm sure Alex has to pay the state some of that difference to operate there. When I'm trailering the boat I stop at the Meredith Irving at the bottom of the hill. Regular is currently $3.44 there and Stabil is another $.06. So $3.50 vs $5.26 when Goodhue was open.

The posted price is just that... members get a discount off the posted price.

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Having worked in Merrimack for about 20 years and got gas at almost every place there, gas isn't gas. Prime1 had the worse gas, always got about 4mpg less every time I filled up there but was always the cheapest, Mobil was always the most expensive, but didn't notice a difference from the GlobalGas down the street. Then there are the ones right off exit 11 that I also never had an issue with but paid an extra 5 cents usually because it was off the highway (especially once they took the tolls off the exit).

Anyone have an update on the Sheps/Goodhue or Meredith Marina fuel situation?

Is there a problem at Meredith Marina too?

It was either at the end of '22, or at the start of last season, I attempted to get gas there and they told me that they were not selling gas any longer. The person stated that they had to upgrade all of their tanks and lines and the cost was prohibitive. Unfortunate, as they are just across the bay from me and more convenient than schlepping it down to Flightcraft at the Weirs.

Turbos and premium in boats
 

Turbos require top-tier gas to prevent carbon buildup. Premium to prevent knocking although modern ECUs retard timing when they notice knocking. You can get away with it if you don't kick in the boost. VAG 2.0 liters put out an amazing 200+ HP with excellent gas mileage!

As for premium in boat motors, mechanics say it is unnecessary as the new ECUs prevent knocking. If you have older carb motors like me, dieseling can be prevented by adjusting the carb. LLM has an experienced mechanic who can adjust carbs. I have great luck with an '88 454 Magnum with 1200 hours on the clock! LLM adds Stabil to their gas and uses top-tier additives.

My marine and automotive mechanic said it would not be a bad idea to use Seafaom treatment once a year, although it is not necessary with top-tier gas.

The Haffner station in Gilford on Route 11 sells just about any kind of gas you can think of including kerosene and nonethanol. They are not top-tier so you may want to add top-tier additive. Before speed limits, avionic gas was available at Laconia Airport.

My apologies for including Meredith Marina in post 27. It’s just Sheps that I should have mentioned as having no gas. The no fuel situation was around 10 days ago at Sheps. Anyone been to Sheps/Goodhue for fuel the last couple of days?

Gas Price
 

Lakeport Landing $4.24 (7/22/2024). Best Marina on Lake!

No gas today. The guy I talked to said it will be a while.

I heard that it will be a long while (not this season). If they need to replace equipment I would think permitting will be lengthy.

At the Marina desk they are saying three weeks.

There's still no gas at Goodhue and no signs of any work being done to fix the system. They're pulling their rentals out of the water and filling them up at the pump away from the water. Better that than no gas and no rentals. I'll continue to fill up my 5 gallon cans in town.