First hand proof that a bit of ethanol in the gasoline can be a bad thing.  We launched onto Green River Reservoir in Kentucky.  The outboard didn’t spring to life but it did start.  We limped along assuming it would work the kinks out.  No such luck.  It quit and proceeded to just dump gas out of the bottom of the carburetor.  Now what? Kent disconnected the fuel line and fired up the 5 Hp so we could spend a few more hours on the lake until the rain ran us in…thunder and lightening.  Oh, my.

As for the outboard?  I mostly stayed clear of the diagnosis phase but came to understand that the gaskets Kent replaced last week had swollen and bulged out of the sealing groove.  Wonderful, right?  We are out of the boating business until we can affect repairs.  The short story, the guys at the local marina informed him that replacement gaskets he ordered from Mercury are not resistant to gas blends that include ANY ethanol.  So, Kent visited the local Napa store, bought new gasket material, and as we “speak” is cutting out a new gasket. Until new gaskets are finished we will stay a little closer to the ramp when thunderstorms are forecast.  Top speed with the 5hp is about 5 mph.  Always something to fix…..