Q: I recently read a few articles regarding the addition of ethanol to gas, and that it's been responsible for damage to certain fiberglass tanks. When winterizing, it's recommended that you top off your gas tank to limit condensation. With the addition of ethanol to gas, would it be wiser to store your boat for winter with an empty tank to limit the exposure to ethanol?
- Bill, Staten Island, NY
 
A: Ethanol in fuel is the same alcohol that's in whiskey - but it's been "denatured" to be unfit for human consumption. It's made from corn and other farm products. New federal regulations require the blending of ethanol into the United States' gasoline supply. Marine fuel isn't exempt from this requirement, so you've definitely been pumping an ethanol blend into your boat this summer.

The problem for winter storage is that ethanol absorbs the water that gets into your fuel tank. It works much the same way as the "dry gas" that motorists use to prevent the freeze-up of their car fuel lines during winter weather. As long as the tank is emptied and refilled regularly (as in a car), no problems result.

Scientists say ethanol can absorb 2 to 3 percent by volume of water. Any more than that, and a tank full of ethanol-blended gasoline will go through "phase separation" during periods of storage. This means the waterlogged ethanol settles to the bottom while the gasoline floats on top.

Reducing the amount of water in your tank prior to winter storage is critical. This can be done by running a can of non-alcohol fuel drier through the system a few times each season. Then, add the same product when you top off for winter storage. Chevron Techron, Sta-Bil Fuel System Dryer, MDR Water Zorb and Starbrite StarTron® are among the products to consider.

Emptying a built-in tank on a cruiser is almost impossible to do safely. So, topping off in the traditional manner for winter storage is still the best way to prevent condensation water. Ethanol is more stable than gasoline and won't deteriorate over winter. Adding a fuel stabilizer is recommended, although be sure it's compatible with any other products you may have used to absorb water.

A word of warning to anyone who has fiberglass tanks: Fuel tank problems ascribed to ethanol-blended gasoline appeared last summer in New York. Leaks and possible dissolving of the polyester resin seem to have affected boats equipped with fiberglass tanks built prior to the mid-1980s. Constant monitoring of these tanks for signs of cracking or fuel leaks is advised until this problem is understood.

Most pleasure boats are built with aluminum or poly tanks that are not affected by ethanol. So, most boat owners have nothing to worry about in terms of tank deterioration.

Compared to gasoline, ethanol is an aggressive solvent. Although it doesn't harm aluminum and poly tanks, ethanol will dissolve any "varnish" or "gum" that has built up on the tank walls. Boat owners have reported that this goo has plugged fuel filters and even caused problems for carburetors and injection systems.

The best way to avoid problems is to install something that should be on every boat anyway - a primary fuel/water separator and filter. Retro-fit kits are available from Sierra and Racor. Choose the kit that matches the fuel demands of your engine. A 10-micron filter is more effective than a 30-micron filter. Carry a spare in case the working filter becomes clogged while underway.

Q: I have an older boat with an inboard diesel engine. The bilge is naturally somewhat oily. I'm always afraid when my pump comes on that it will put oily water out and I'll get in trouble. What can I do?
- Paul Silver, Ashland, WI

A: Look at the solution to your problem in two steps. The first involves keeping oily bilge waste on board while allowing the pump to remove unwanted water. The second, getting rid of the problem completely.

Step one is easy. Purchase one of the floating oil absorbers available through marine stores. These look like big, white sausages and come wrapped in poly netting. Secure one or more in your bilge so that even if the water rises they will not get caught in the whirling belts and pulleys of the engine. Then, adjust your automatic switch so that it doesn't allow the pump to suck every last drop of water out of the bilge.

Oil floats on water. The absorbent sausage will skim most of the oil off before the pump sends it overboard. By leaving just a bit of water in the bilge, you don't pump any residual floating oil.
Only clean water will go back into your Wisconsin lake.

Of course, you want to keep the amount of water in your bilge to an absolute minimum. Excess-free surface water in the boat can upset its balance in rough weather.

In the long run, you need to have the engine and bilge steam cleaned. You can rent a machine to do the job, or you can hire a professional. Let the oily water from this cleaning run out through the garboard drain in the bottom. Collect it in a large bucket (a small drum) lined with oil-absorbent pads. The residual water should be clean enough for upland disposal.

Oil-absorbent pads and sausages should not be thrown into the trash. Instead, check with your marina manager about proper disposal. We don't want oily waste in landfills.

Q:At the risk of sounding like Roger Rabbit, my daughter's fiancé's sister-in-law's grandfather had a small runabout (19-footer). It sits in my daughter's fiancé's brother's yard and looks like it's in fair condition. It's free, except they don't have the title. I don't mind sleuthing, but my background is with autos. Any thoughts on where to start? Are titles controlled by the state or is this a local government entity responsibility? Where are serial numbers found?  - Charlie, Pennsylvania

A: You'll need both a title and a registration before you can use the boat. In your state, both items are issued by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. A title is primarily a tax enforcement document that's designed to make sure you've paid all the required sales or use taxes. It's also proof of ownership. A registration is similar to a car license plate. It proves you have paid your ongoing taxes for using the state waterways.

As a "disinterested party," you won't be able to walk in and obtain a clear title or register the boat. The original owner has to do that work and then sell the boat to you. If he has died, then the boat must go through probate, and the inheritor should obtain title and registration before selling it to you.

A duplicate title and new registration can be obtained from the commission. You will need either the bow numbers or the boat's Hull Identification Number (HIN). The HIN is normally found on the upper starboard corner of the transom. Boats built prior to 1976 don't have a HIN, but they may have a builder's number - or they may have no number at all.

A more complicated alternative would be for your daughter's fiancé's brother to claim the boat was abandoned on his piece of property. Under Pennsylvania law he can claim the boat after 90 days by completing Fish & Boat Commission form PFBC-R2.
That starts a specified chain of events designed to allow the original owner to come forward. Among the requirements are newspaper advertisements.

Two months after all of the requirements have been met, your daughter's fiancé's brother can apply to register
the boat and be considered its legal owner. The laws covering your situation are found in the Pennsylvania Code. For details on registering abandoned boats see PA Code § 93.17. Titles for reconstructed boats come under PA Code § 93.106.

You can get full details on handling the legal paperwork by visiting the Commission website: www.sites.state. pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/faqregt.htm

Send your BoatCraft Q&A questions to Dave Brown c/o Boating World, 2100 Powers Ferry Rd., Atlanta, GA 30339. You can also e-mail Dave at www.boatingworldonline.com. Due to the volume of inquiries, Dave Brown will be unable to answer every question.