Ethanol blamed for boat troubles

HONOLULU, April 11 (UPI) -- Boat owners in Hawaii are complaining that state mandated ethanol fuel is causing their boats to break down.

Ethanol that has more than a half percent of moisture introduced into it suffers "phase separation" in which the water pulls the ethanol and some hydrocarbons into a bottom layer that's difficult for engines to burn while he lighter fuel floats on top, The Honolulu Advertiser said Wednesday.

Ethanol acts as a solvent, cleaning out gunk in fuel systems that ends up clogging carburetors, the newspaper said. New engines with fuel injection systems, however, seem to handle ethanol without problems.

Ethanol also allegedly eats away at fiberglass-based marine fuel tanks, destroying fuel tanks and clogging boat engines with the debris.

The newspaper said the state Legislature is considering a bill that would mandate sales of premium gasoline without ethanol.