# Boat Question For My Freshwater Frens



## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Hey y'all, as some of you may know, I just purchased another boat. She had some old gas and dirty carbs and I had to send her to the good Dr. at Lawrence Marine in Liberty to fix 'er up. They did a fine job, both mechanically and electrically. Highly recommended BTW. Good folks. 

Since I just put this money into the motor and fuel system I am very careful to follow good advice for storage. I do not want to go through that again anytime soon. I am storing the boat with a full tank of gas that has been pre-mixed with the 2 cycle oil and also includes the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer (NOT STABIL) some other type better suited for the motor (can't remember the name of it).

My first boat was simple. Just pull the fuel line connection off the 25HP Merc and run it out of fuel. Ready to sit.

This boat doesn't have that sort of option as far as I can tell. The fuel line stays connected and I am concerned about build up that could potentially gum up the system again if it sits too long. Hunting season is coming up and I will be skipping weekends here and there to go hunting. For instance, this weekend the boat will sit. Next weekend I will have it out (weather permitting). 

How long can a boat sit stored before problems in the fuel and fuel system start rearing their ugly heads?

Should I be doing something in addition to what I have described as preventive measures?

Thanks


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

With treated fuel as you have, I think if you actually put it in the water and run it once a month you will be fine. 

Although I have run 2 cycles out of gas as you wrote, I have also read what I consider to be logical that you are also running it out of lubrication. 

Hopefully a marine mechanic will read this and give more accurate help.
I have had no problem with blue Stabil which is a marine formula made for ethanol type gasoline I believe. But there may be better choices.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Go crank it with water hose/ear flaps on once a week minimum and let it run for 20 minuets.
You should be good until time to fish again.
Lawrence Bros are good folks for fixing up boats!


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

It used to be a good idea to store with a full tank of fuel so that the tank couldn't breathe humidity in and vapors out. I'm assuming ethanol hasn't changed that, but I'm not sure. Also, thieves have emptied my tanks twice. But I store full tanks with stabil.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

I should have mentioned not RED Stabil. I actually didn't know blue existed. Heh.

SS It's stored up at Beacon Bay but there is not water source. I'd have to put it in the water (no problem there). The problem for me will be trying to get up there once per week. I don't think I can. Every couple of weeks, sure. Would that be pressing my luck? If so, I'll just have to I suppose.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

why let it sit that long? The whites can be caught almost all year round. You can tow it to the north side of the lake or on some good days fish the south end.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Mattsfishin said:


> why let it sit that long? The whites can be caught almost all year round. You can tow it to the north side of the lake or on some good days fish the south end.


The only reason it would sit so long is because I'm mad at the deer and the hogs. They skunked me last year. Stayed nocturnal the whole season. At least this season if that happens I have a fall back to go fishin'. Heh. I would like to have some fresh deer though...and have you seen the price of bacon these days? WOOO!

I'm talkin' sittin' only a couple of weeks at a time but it sounds like that might be asking for trouble. I may have to make a weekday trip each week just to keep the boat healthy. Ugh. That means I need to go up there tonight but I have a "Community Meeting" tonight with a group of engineers. Double Ugh. Heh


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I have written this so many times that some are probably tired of reading it. It is fairly easy to siphon from a boat into a 5 gallon gas can and burn it in your truck. Your vehicle probably has many more gallons of fresh gas to dilute it, and even 50:1 oil in the gas has never hurt my truck to where I could even notice it doing this. Nothing beats actually running the boat engine. But if you feel the gas in your boat is getting a bit old, there is no reason to not burn it elsewhere.


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

markbrumbaugh said:


> It used to be a good idea to store with a full tank of fuel so that the tank couldn't breathe humidity in and vapors out. I'm assuming ethanol hasn't changed that, but I'm not sure. Also, thieves have emptied my tanks twice. But I store full tanks with stabil.


It's kind of funny now we try to keep moisture out of our tanks still but pump about 15 percent water with every tank with the dumb Ethenol, go figure!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Whitebassfisher said:


> I have written this so many times that some are probably tired of reading it. It is fairly easy to siphon from a boat into a 5 gallon gas can and burn it in your truck. Your vehicle probably has many more gallons of fresh gas to dilute it, and even 50:1 oil in the gas has never hurt my truck to where I could even notice it doing this. Nothing beats actually running the boat engine. But if you feel the gas in your boat is getting a bit old, there is no reason to not burn it elsewhere.


Good point!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Keep it full, keep it treated, run it when you can. You will be fine.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Bank on it, sitting two weeks isn't gonna hurt ya.Warm it up good and run it at high speed enough to get it good and warm and you shouldn't have any trouble.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

Even my two strokes have sat for weeks at a time. As a retired refiner, I can tell you this from the labs.... The enemy is varnish from the oligmerization of cyclopentadienes and free water separation potentiated by ethanol. The first plugs carb jets and injectors, and the second causes corrosion and even water being aspirated into the engine, along with plugging. It is fairly effective to control both with ethanol approved stabilizer additives. Heck, my jet skis run once per year. Now if you are talking an rv generator...they just about have to be run once per month. But your boat ought to be fine while you hunt. The gasoline will weather off some butane while stored, which may make it a little hard to start until you put in some fresh, but otherwise no big deal if you use the right stabilizers.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

"I can tell you this from the labs.... The enemy is varnish from the oligmerization of cyclopentadienes and free water separation potentiated by ethanol."

Took the words right out of my mouth Mark, lol!

You will be good running it once a month, I didn't know you had limited access to it.
The old Merc 125 I had on the MRF had over 2500 hours on it when it died from double firing on #3. However the comphresion was perfect on all cylinders, I think from being run nearly every day.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

markbrumbaugh said:


> The enemy is varnish from the oligmerization of cyclopentadienes and free water separation potentiated by ethanol.


Whoah. Made my nose bleed a little. Heh.

Thanks everybody!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Remember during hunting season it is a little cooler. That slows down the reaction so well described by Mark's two dollar words.
A couple of runs during deer season with treated gas will be fine. Look on the bright side. You might tag out on opening weekend and need the boat more than you think.
The fishing down along the dam is great in the fall.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Sunbeam said:


> Remember during hunting season it is a little cooler. That slows down the reaction so well described by Mark's two dollar words.
> A couple of runs during deer season with treated gas will be fine. Look on the bright side. You might tag out on opening weekend and need the boat more than you think.
> The fishing down along the dam is great in the fall.


Thanks Sunbeam. I sure would like that! Heck I just wanna put 1 good one in the freezer and get back on the water! It could even be a doe this year...well 2 doe. I have more horns than I know what to do with anyhow. Heh.

I worked it out this weekend to be on the water Sunday if the weather is right. WOO-HOO!


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

Just go fishing.....or boat riding.....NOTHING beats stress like a good ole winter run up the creek. Just you and your thoughts....might add years to the back side of life! Plus keeps the ole boat running, makes the wife and kids happy, and if you haven't seen any deer through the season..you just might see a deer or two.


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## hobinh (Jul 31, 2013)

BOI, install a fuel shut off valve between the prime bulb and the motor, easy fix, cost few dollars from home depot


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

bueyescowboy said:


> Just go fishing.....or boat riding.....NOTHING beats stress like a good ole winter run up the creek. Just you and your thoughts....might add years to the back side of life! Plus keeps the ole boat running, makes the wife and kids happy, and if you haven't seen any deer through the season..you just might see a deer or two.


So true Cowboy. Lots of deer on the creeks in the fall. The biggest buck I ever killed was a huge 16 point I caught swimming Pool Creek in 19........well maybe that story can wait for the fish fry.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

hobinh said:


> BOI, install a fuel shut off valve between the prime bulb and the motor, easy fix, cost few dollars from home depot


Hey that's a good idea.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Sunbeam said:


> So true Cowboy. Lots of deer on the creeks in the fall. The biggest buck I ever killed was a huge 16 point I caught swimming Pool Creek in 19........well maybe that story can wait for the fish fry.


HAHA! I can't miss this!


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

Sunbeam said:


> Remember during hunting season it is a little cooler. That slows down the reaction so well described by Mark's two dollar words.
> A couple of runs during deer season with treated gas will be fine. Look on the bright side. You might tag out on opening weekend and need the boat more than you think.
> The fishing down along the dam is great in the fall.


Hey....those words cost me a several thousand dollar (today's dollars...50,000) education, 40 years of corporate and govt bs, and one marriage. Seriously, my writing went into expert witness mode, sorry. I quit that this year. I'll be talking gunk in the fuel tank real soon.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

Bankin' On It said:


> Whoah. Made my nose bleed a little. Heh.
> 
> Thanks everybody!


I had to look all those words up myself. My dog looked at me like I was dumb. I overcompensated.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Mark, the stripers were around the 10' to 15' depth this evening. I rarely go fishing in the evening, but I had some fine tuning to do on the boat.
Big schools out in the open lake south and west of PI, but mostly under size. 
I followed a couple of flocks of birds around and they were on the money marking fish. 
Once in a while the smaller fish would chug the top, not a big splash, they seem to be really roving fast.
The bigger fish were underneath the small guys just a little. I am betting a trolled hellbender with a small pet spoon might work as it would run close to the depth I was marking fish and they were hitting a small slab better than a big one. 
Most likely feeding on new hatch shad or sliver sides.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

shadslinger said:


> Mark, the stripers were around the 10' to 15' depth this evening. I rarely go fishing in the evening, but I had some fine tuning to do on the boat.
> Big schools out in the open lake south and west of PI, but mostly under size.
> I followed a couple of flocks of birds around and they were on the money marking fish.
> Once in a while the smaller fish would chug the top, not a big splash, they seem to be really roving fast.
> ...


Thanks Loy. Nothing happening anywhere mid day. Birds were marking nothing, slicks smelling but no fish. Guess I was too early or too late. I trolled 10 and 15 ft from PI to the hump, lump, road bed, bucket, carries, Indian hills point, 10 am to 3 pm, and picked up one dink and one to eat. I saw lots of fish Indian hills, but they were in digestive mode.


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## rwnitro (Feb 11, 2010)

On my boat, I installed an ethanol resistant fuel line and squeeze bulb. I also installed a cut-off valve and a water separator (looks like a screw on oil filter). I use the marine stabil with premium unleaded and have not had any problems. My boat may sit for a month at a time between fishing trips.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

rwnitro said:


> On my boat, I installed an ethanol resistant fuel line and squeeze bulb. I also installed a cut-off valve and a *water separator (looks like a screw on oil filter).* I use the marine stabil with premium unleaded and have not had any problems. My boat may sit for a month at a time between fishing trips.


That is important in my opinion. There are 10 micron filters now that are also water separators. Most engine manufacturers now want a 10 micron filter for warranty reasons. Racor makes some very good ones. Racor is a division of Parker.


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## fishin_envy (Aug 13, 2010)

Yep, I have a filter/separator just like the one in the picture. My boat sits many years for 3 or more months without being run for the same reasons as described. I am no master mechanic, but if you cant run it for long periods of time, the best things that I have found that help beside just adding fuel stabilizer it is to fog the motor with fogging oil. With the motor idling, I spray fogging oil into all of the carbs until it almost dies, about 1/2 a can. I then shut off the motor and spay some more into each carb. I then pull each plug and spray some into the hole and turn the motor over a couple of times with the kill switch pulled and then put the plugs back in. When I am ready to use the boat next time, I connect a tank with 1 gallon of pre-mixed gas, plus 1 can of seafoam, and the boat fires right up, although it does smoke more than usual for a few minutes. I run the gallon of gas through the motor, hook my main tank back up (with fresh gas) and go fishing.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks. Hey speaking of seafoam...what is it? A cleanser? I heard one should run seafoam every other outing as a maintenance step. I haven't done this yet. Do I need an extra gas can to mix it? I don't throw it straight into the tank do I?


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Whitebassfisher said:


> That is important in my opinion. There are 10 micron filters now that are also water separators. Most engine manufacturers now want a 10 micron filter for warranty reasons. Racor makes some very good ones. Racor is a division of Parker.


I'm pretty sure I do not have this set up right now. That's going to change. Heh. Thanks WBF!


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

I put the boat in on Sunday. She ran great. So happy. Ya know what happened though? As I back the boat off the trailer I looked up and saw one of my support boards on the trailer floating. Heh. Apparently the lag bolts rusted out. I put some bungie straps on it for now but it looks like one day next weekend will be dedicated to trailer restoration. Does anyone know if I can put the boat in at Beacon Bay and just park it there for a while? I gotta get it off the trailer to do the work.


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## fishin_envy (Aug 13, 2010)

Bankin' On It said:


> Thanks. Hey speaking of seafoam...what is it? A cleanser? I heard one should run seafoam every other outing as a maintenance step. I haven't done this yet. Do I need an extra gas can to mix it? I don't throw it straight into the tank do I?


I think running it that often is just a waste of money. 1x per year unless you put a lot of hours on the motor. Can't tell you for sure what it's made of, but it helps clean fuel system and remove carbon build-up from the motor.

I only use a separate can so I can mix it with 1 gallon of gas for a strong mix vs. putting it in my main tank. Don't forget to add oil to the mix as well.


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