Fuel Tips
By Ken Penrod

Fuel prices and the quality of the fuel we use are a big topic these days, not only for family budget balance but for those of us that tow boats and use outboard motors. I spoke with Mare, Inc., head outboard motor mechanic, Gary Nicholson at the Thurmont store about the subject. Gary says that if you use “Star Tron” fuel treatment as prescribed on the bottle, you will not have to worry about ethanol problems any longer. An 8 fluid ounce bottle of this liquid will treat 128 gallons of fuel.

“Your biggest problem occurs when you are not using your motors frequently,” say Gary. That’s when the fuel breaks down and causes very expensive issues.

 My jet boat only has a 16-gallon tank, so I use that fuel quickly. “Still, says Gary, “if you let that boat sit in your driveway just a few days—the fuel should be treated. Some days your boat will set idle unexpectedly, such as when we get flooded out as happened recently. I intend to use this product on every fill up.

My Ranger is another problem though. Gary says it’s best to partially fill each of the 26-gallon tanks, treat that fuel, and switch back and forth from tank to tank every few hours.

Other tips that I can offer from experience: vehicle fuel per mile is cheaper than boat miles—so launch in the vicinity that you intend to fish rather than take long boat rides. I use a 101 pound thrust Minn Kota Fortrex trolling motor, so if my various moves during the day is less than 100 yards or so—I’ll use the trolling motor rather than start the Mercury.