Boating Industry Magazine Finds Rise In Ethanol Issue Concerns

[Speed on the Water]

BoatUS sees the potential for misfueling as its No. 1 concern surrounding ethanol, http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-news/3772-boating-industry-magazine-reports-rise-in-ethanol-service-related-engine-issues.

[Ratickle]

Wow, higher than I would have thought.

Eighty-seven percent of our respondents reported that their business has seen engine damage caused by ethanol. That was up from 73 percent in the same survey in April 2015.

While it may be helping drive service department business, frequent issues run the risk of driving more people out of boating.

As one New York boat dealer bluntly put it: “Ethanol makes us money … it sucks for the consumer.”

A Florida-based manufacturer echoed that:

“Ethanol is a boom for the service departments. Ethanol is a HUGE drag on our industry because it negatively affects the customers. It makes them hate boating. It ruins their day, their boat and their entire boating experience.”

And it is no small problem, either, representing a significant portion of repairs based on what our survey respondents are seeing. Fourteen percent said that ethanol-related problems are responsible for more than half of all engine repairs, while 60 percent said it represents at least 20 percent of the repair issues. Those numbers are basically unchanged from 2015.