Wall Street Journal Ethanol Article

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 1st, '06, 16:29

Got a call from Rob Tomsho the WSJ reporter advising me to buy tomorrow's (Saturday's) issue. Didn't give a hint of what he is saying so I'm a bit nervous. Got my fingers crossed. Thought I'd let you all know. Here's hoping it does us some good. Walter

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sep 1st, '06, 16:47

Walter,

Thanks for carrying the load for us on this issue. Maybe someone who's smarter than me can post a link to the article. Thanks again,

Tommy

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sep 1st, '06, 17:05

Thanks Walter.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Sep 1st, '06, 17:48

Pool, or the pond. The pond would be good for you......

Terry Frank · Post by **Terry Frank** » Sep 1st, '06, 19:14

When all is said and done....more is said than done.

Br,

Terry

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Sep 2nd, '06, 07:55

Good job Walter! Front page of the Journal.Now thats getting something done right.Im sure all Bertram owners thank you for your time and effort.

bobbert66 · Post by **bobbert66** » Sep 2nd, '06, 08:20

FINALLY SOME NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR THIS VERY MAJOR PROBLEM.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Sep 2nd, '06, 11:26

Nice job. I really appreciate all the efforts of the NE faithful on this. Maybe it'll stop or slow ethanol from coming to the Eastern Shore.

John F.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 2nd, '06, 12:37

Time for each of us to Xerox the article and mail the copies to each of the boating and fishing magazines we subscribe to asking "Why do I find out about this from The Wall Street Journal and not from you?".
The national exposure this gives us needs to be exploited in order to get some action. A copy of the article is also going to be sent to my Senators and Representatives. Take advantage of this opportunity. Stay quiet and that's exactly what you'll get in return...silence. Take action to get action! Walter

klaatu66 · Post by **klaatu66** » Sep 2nd, '06, 12:42

I am in the same boat as all of you Bertram owners. With an 80's vintage Chris Craft with a GM manufactured OMC, I too am concerned with the scourge of Ethanol. The only BOLD print warning in the old manual regarding fuel grade was DO NOT USE ETHANOL LACED FUELS IN THIS ENGINE. To counter the harmful effects of this situation which is beyond our control, I do fill up my tank after every cruise to limit the amount of moisture that the ethanol is able to absorb from the vent. It's a bit of a hastle but considering the alternative, worth it. My wife's uncle is a former Bell Labs chemist who advises that trying drygas products, which are isopropanol alcohols, will only make the situation worse. Please note. For those of you who are experiencing gunking problems, I can offer that Chevron's TECHRON product can counter the gunking effects caused by ethanol laced fuel. Chevron does not advertise that this polyether amine compound specifically addresses our problem, but I can state from numerous experieces that running TECHRON at the recommended concentration in the tank will disolve gunk and carbon deposits in the moving parts of the engines. In the past I would use it as a diagnostic tool to try to correct engine missing usually caused by burned valves. It would not solve the burned valve problem but when the engine was exploded, I would find the cylinder heads and pistons to be as clean as the day they left the factory. I run this product in the Chrissy and have not experience the problems noted in the article to date. Some day I hope to count myself as the proud owner of a Bertramdown in sunny Florida. Best of luck to you all.......GPR

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sep 2nd, '06, 12:52

Walter,
Your exactly right. Everyone, not just those who have this problem now need to be vocal.

If the major boat organizations, boat US, refuse to take action then it might be wise to form a PAC and file a Federal lawsuit on behalf of the boaters that Ethanol was introduced without due consideration to the safety factors.

Death or serious injury besides loss of property could result from the use of Ethanol.

If anything maybe money could be won from the Ethanol producers to help boaters who need to refit tanks and engines.

bobbert66 · Post by **bobbert66** » Sep 2nd, '06, 15:15

JUST WONDERING---

ISN'T BOATING CONSIDERED A OFF ROAD ACTIVITY ???

AND AS SUCH EXEMPT FROM ETHANOL.

I KNOW THAT ETHANOL IS ONLY ADDED AT THE TERMINAL TO THE TANK OF THE DELIVERING TRUCK.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 2nd, '06, 17:20

Bob-A technicality but you may be right. Look into it for us if you can. Anyone else has any input on that, please let us know. Push, push, push. The boat you save may be your own! Walter

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Sep 2nd, '06, 18:20

The problem is that the poor quality fuel base that is sent down the pipeline for mixing with Ethanol is worthless without it. You have to be in an area the doesn't have RFG to get the good stuff.

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » Sep 3rd, '06, 12:14

Some Boat Owners With Gunky Motors Sing Ethanol Blues
Mariners Complain of Stalls, Costly Repair Problems; Mr. Koch Cuts His Losses
By ROBERT TOMSHO
Wall St Journal, September 2, 2006; Page A1

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. -- Proponents of ethanol see it as a fuel additive that
can relieve the nation's energy woes. Pleasure boaters like Walter
Kaprielian say they need it like a hole in the hull.

Mr. Kaprielian's 1969 boat was made in Miami by Bertram Yacht, whose sturdy
older vessels have a devoted following. But the 20-footer, a beamy craft
with a small cabin, has had all sorts of things go wrong with it since
marinas here began selling nothing but ethanol-blended gasoline two years ago.

The boat has spent the summer sitting in a repair yard while its owner
thinks about expensive fixes such as a new $25,000 motor. "I get depressed
just looking at it," says the 72-year-old, who sometimes seeks solace
online, where a lot of boat owners are singing the ethanol blues. Boaters
blame the blend for unpredictable stall-outs and a ruinous goo that brings
some motors to a grinding halt.

"Take heed, folks, this stuff is nasty in outboards," one Virginia angler
warned recently in a bass-fishing forum. On a site for Bertram owners, a
New Yorker lamented leaving an article about ethanol problems out where his
wife found it. Now "she wants to sell the boat," he wrote.

This past spring, Eric Koch, of Old Saybrook, Conn., did seek a buyer for
the 34-foot boat he had spent nearly $40,000 to buy and restore. After
ethanol problems set in, the kitchen designer ended up letting it go for
$9,000. "It was time to cut some losses," he says.

Mechanics and manufacturers say that while a 10% ethanol blend causes few
problems in a car's closed fuel system, it can be a big problem in boats,
whose gas tanks are ventilated. Ethanol absorbs water from the air, which
can cause a motor to lose power or stall. A solvent, ethanol also picks up
contaminants from storage containers. And when mixed with non-ethanol
gasoline already in a tank, the blend can form a gelatinous glob that clogs
fuel filters.

After Houston-area marinas switched to the ethanol blend this year, local
restaurateur Rob Cromie moved his 31-footer to distant Port Aransas, Texas,
where ethanol-free gasoline is still sold. "I'd rather drive for four hours
than drive for 45 minutes and risk having my motor blow," he says.

While some vehicles are designed to run on fuel containing 85% ethanol, it
is available at only about 800 of the nation's 169,000 service stations.
The blended gasoline currently in wide use typically contains 10% ethanol.
Such low-level blends now account for about 40% of all gasoline produced in
this country, up from 33% in 2005, according to the American Petroleum
Institute.

The spread of ethanol, often made from corn, has been spurred by state and
federal government moves to promote alternative fuels. Ethanol helps
gasoline burn more cleanly, boosting oil-industry efforts to meet
air-pollution mandates. Refiners once favored adding methyl tertiary butyl
ether, or MTBE, to gasoline to promote cleaner air. But last year, Congress
refused to grant them immunity from lawsuits over water pollution linked to
MTBE, which many states have banned.

Charlie Drevna, executive vice president of the National Petrochemical and
Refiners Association, says that using ethanol is now the only viable way
for refiners to meet federal laws requiring them to sell cleaner-burning
gasoline in areas with heavy air pollution. Refiners would like to offer
boaters a different product, he added, "but legally we can't."

Complaints "are coming from all over the country," says Martin Peters, a
spokesman for boat maker Yamaha Marine Group, in Kennesaw, Ga. Sales of a
Yamaha fuel filter designed to head off ethanol problems have more than
tripled this year, over the same period in 2005.

Ethanol's most excruciating headaches are reserved for the owners of
vintage boats, made by Bertram and a few other manufacturers, that came
with fiberglass fuel tanks, once a high-end feature thought to last a
lifetime. Most boats now are manufactured with gas tanks made of aluminum,
steel or polyethylene. The latest fiberglass tanks are made of
ethanol-resistant materials.

The 10% ethanol blend can leach the resin right out of fiberglass tanks
manufactured before 1985 or so -- as many as 15,000 of which are still said
to be in use on boats. The resulting chemical brew can coat a motor's
innards with a crippling black gunk that hardens after a motor cools.

"Basically, you get a fuel tank that is solid and hard, and it turns to
jelly," says boat mechanic Frank Damm, of Montauk, N.Y., who has removed
several.

Prices for new tanks start at around $2,000, but many mechanics won't even
guess at installation costs until they gauge how hard it will be to remove
the old tank. That often means sawing a big hole in a boat's deck.

Ethanol angst began to settle over eastern Long Island, a center of
affluent boaters, in 2004. That's when New York banned MTBE and ethanol
arrived to replace it.

The ensuing motor breakdowns were particularly perplexing to owners of
older Bertrams. A proud lot, they consider their thick-hulled boats to be
all but indestructible, and some disparage more modern craft as "bubble
boats" and "Clorox bottles."

"The people who own these boats are fanatics, and the rest of the world
just doesn't get it," declares Randall Rosenthal, a 58-year-old sculptor
from Springs, N.Y.

But last summer, one of the motors on his 1970 Bertram suddenly turned
balky and, when he opened it up, the insides looked as if they had been
painted with tar.

Mr. Rosenthal siphoned the 65 gallons of ethanol blend left in his tanks
into old antifreeze jugs and paint buckets, which he stored in his backyard
while looking for a legal disposal site. This summer, he has been using his
kayak more than the Bertram, which has a "for sale" sign in the window.

Mr. Kaprielian, his friend a few miles away, can't imagine parting with his
Bertram, which he named Bluebeard Too. A lifelong angler who pads around
his house with fishing pliers strapped to his belt, the retired ad man used
to take it on solo fishing trips of up to 30 miles offshore.

But that was before a series of offshore power losses that sometimes turned
two-hour return trips into six-hour ordeals. Mr. Kaprielian couldn't figure
out the problem until one day at the dock last fall, when he turned on his
motor and heard what sounded like a clothes drier full of hammers. His
mechanics blamed ethanol, and he has been wrestling with what to do ever since.

Marina owners on eastern Long Island say they sell ethanol-blended gasoline
because it is all they can get. Jeff Briggs, owner of East Hampton Marina,
where Mr. Kaprielian docks his boat and buys his fuel, says he wishes he
could buy ethanol-free gasoline to use in his own boat.

Some friends have switched to motors that burn diesel, which is still
ethanol-free, but Mr. Kaprielian can't bring himself to spend the $25,000
or more that's likely to cost. Meanwhile, no one will give him a solid
estimate on replacing his gas tank, and Mr. Kaprielian doesn't relish the
prospect of surgery on his deck, anyway.

"It's a little bit like cutting up your child," he says.

Some of his local Bertram brethren talk about stuffing their tanks with
rubber bladders or spraying their insides with various protective coatings.
Others debate the practicality of hauling ethanol-free aviation fuel in
from the nearest airports.

Then there's Fred Phinney, an ex-publisher from nearby Southold, N.Y. After
shelling out nearly $3,000 for motor repairs, he recently disconnected his
fiberglass tanks and hooked his fuel lines up to a cheap pair of portable
plastic models.

They are now strapped to the top of his meticulously scrubbed deck.
Unfortunately, it's white and the new ethanol-proof tanks are fire-engine red.

"That's kind of degrading to me as a Bertram owner," says Mr. Phinney, who
plans to hide the telltale replacements with a pair of newly made white
canvas covers.

Copyright 2006 Dow Jones & Company

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 3rd, '06, 12:42

Thank you Andre-I didn't know how to do that. Walter

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sep 3rd, '06, 16:30

Thanks Andre.

Before I post my opinon of the article I would like to ask others to go back and read it as if you were not a boat owner or were not aware of any problems with ethanol and give an honest appraisal of the authors content.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Sep 3rd, '06, 16:38

I didn't like tha "affluent boater" part. Sounds like only the rich are affected!!

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Sep 3rd, '06, 17:21

...read it as if you were not a boat owner or were not aware of any problems with ethanol...

If I knew nothing of the topic prior to reading & was not a boater, I probably wouldn't have read past the second paragraph...

Now, if I read that my high dollar riding lawn tractor, much higher dollar motorcycle, older classic car, was going to be affected by ehanol, I'd have finished the article and become concerned.

The fact that nothing was said about all of the other possible problems, such as phase seperation, 1 month shelf life, distributor screw-ups, & gas station screw-ups, leaves the average reader with an "Ain't my problem" false sense of security...

Let's hope that there will be enough feed back from the WSJ readers with additional questions that there'll be a better follow up. At least something is now in national print & with a media aimed at something other than the boating populace. We can all thank Walt for that happening!

Br,

Patrick

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 3rd, '06, 17:23

I myself am disappointed that my personal concerns of safety and phase separation were left out of the article. To me, they are the biggest dangers of Ethanol to the mass public. You can be sure they were discussed by all of us who were interviewed. On the other hand we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and should use this article as a tool to get the attention of other media and governmental agencies to the dangers Ethanol brings us all. The fact that a National publication has put it as a front page story gives it a level of credibility. As has been said earlier, no one feels sorry for a power boater, but this issue will (and has already) found it's way to the average public's lawnmowers, leaf and snow blowers and older cars, etc. When working to get your story into a publication for which you don't pay, you have to speak very carefully and take what they write. Look at this as the door opener, not the cure-all. If the phone calls I have gotten already are any sign, it has created an awareness where there was none, and a platform to explain Ethanol's other faults. Don't shoot the messenger as we may need The Wall Street Journal again. Walter

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Sep 3rd, '06, 22:03

Some of us that have not been interviewed can and should write our own letters to the editor and mention that in reality it is not just a boaters problem. I just recently had to replace the fuel fill line on the "Land Yacht", as every time I put gas in the van, I was putting a lot on the floor under the van. It wouldn't leak after I finished pumping but this was a problem nonetheless. My mechanic has also told me of automotive breakdowns due to ethanol, so as we have said, this is a concern that crosses many bounderies.

As was also mentioned, gas powered lawn mowers, weed wackers, snow blowers ....or how about a hobbiest's viewpoint? Lot's of people have gas powered RC cars, planes, boats, etc. What were to happen if a radio controlled plane stalled and came down somewhere unexpectedly?

I personally did not like the reference of "affluence" in the article. I am anything but affluent and struggle each day to remain the steward of my Bertram. What about the guy with a 13 or 15 foot outboard powered skiff? I'm sure they wouldn't consider themselves affluent either, but the article points that in a different direction.....have boat.....have cash!! Yet these people have been suffering the same problems with ethanol as do the "big" guys.

randall · Post by **randall** » Sep 4th, '06, 08:37

well...anyone who knows me and has been to my house knows i am far from "affluent"....but alas i live in the town of east hampton and it seems to color every journalistic endevor no matter what the subject...when i did the segment for the travel channel all i talked about was the amazing diversity of water related activities found here...when the story got on the screen....it was all about "the rich and famous"......take the article for what it is....a foot in the door....prying the door open is up to us.....but dont expect the rest of the country to care about us....we have to make it about them.....

Capt Dick Dean · Post by **Capt Dick Dean** » Sep 4th, '06, 09:28

Come on, Radall. Living in East Hampton with all the glitz, having fished in Panama with UV and friends, Winning a major artist award over the winter, owning a BERTRAM .... Come on!

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 4th, '06, 10:00

Dick-It's not about money, it's about how you choose to live your life... no matter where you are.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Sep 4th, '06, 10:16

Seems like a run of the mill article, factual but not overly interesting to those not afflicted by the problem. Leaving out the possible safety issues that may arise leaves me at a loss, it is a major concern.

As said, most people may glance at the article, those not in our Vintage Boating Community will probly never get past the first few sentences.

None-the-less, it is a step forward.

Thanks Walter

randall · Post by **randall** » Sep 4th, '06, 13:03

thanks walter....

dougl33 · Post by **dougl33** » Sep 4th, '06, 20:51

How about the fact they the article doesn't mention that your boat, car, motorcycle, lawn-mower, smow blower, etc... will get worse mileage with the ethanl or that it takes more oil to prodice a gallon of ethanol or that were getting most of our ethanol from Brazil and that Brazil makes their ehtanol from sugar which is ten time more efficient than making it from corn!

I'm glad that the WSJ decided to write an article, but its no better than the crap that Boat Useless keeps spewing out. Very little substance.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 4th, '06, 21:20

The major difference is that this article got national distribution. Because I am mentioned and pictured I have been getting calls from as far away (from me) as California. The calls have given me the opportunity to tell the callers of the missing aspects not mentioned in the article that touch on them directly ie: shelf life, phase separation, gasket and fuel line deterioration, old fuel disposal problems, etc.
As I mentioned in earlier posts, use the article as a device to get action and to tell the rest of the story. Believe me, the name of The Wall Street Jounal and the fact that it was a page one story turns heads...especially of politicians in an election year. Use it. I'm making up copies to send out with my letters to Senators, Representatives, local officials, local newspapers and my next target, the Boating and Fishing Magazines we all subscribe to who haven't written more than a handful of words to forewarn their readers. I'm emphasizing the safety ramifications, disposal problems and the other non-boating issues that the public isn't aware of at all but will have to deal with. Our boating problems just opened the door and gave us the opportunity to expose the whole story. Will we fix it? I don't know, but I'm sure of one thing...staying quiet won't do it. Walter

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Sep 4th, '06, 22:48

Go get 'em Walter!!!

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Sep 10th, '06, 07:32

Here's some more press coverage from the Aug 25, 2006
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=488180

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 10th, '06, 09:37

Harv-That's a good article. Can you imagine those dumb bastards saying that there's an anti-corn agenda by the engine people and that the product is perfectly fine? Walter

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Sep 12th, '06, 22:52

Walt, did you notice who said that

all marine engines sold in the United States have been designed to run on fuel containing no more than 10% alcohol?

None other than the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. No wonder they want to deny that any damage could be caused by their product. Who knows, maybe in the future there will be another label on the pumps, next to the ethanol label that says "use of this product could be harmful to your engine." Wait a minute, I already saw a warning label on a pump, but it was for low sulpher diesel. The label said not for use in 2007 or later vehicles as it may cause engine damage. Go figure???

dougl33 · Post by **dougl33** » Sep 13th, '06, 09:13

I stated this on the 33 site, but I'll do the same here.

Betweeen the lot of us, I think we've done more research into the ethanol issue than all of the boating/trade magazines and newspapers combined and we're not even getting paid to do it.

Any rational individual could glean more info from both this site and the 33 site than from all of the other media outlets (including TV).

How sad is that?

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Sep 13th, '06, 10:52

Being the cynic that I am, I still say that there will be unscrupulous gas resellers who will add 5% water to their tanks (at one cent per gallon) and sell it for a considerable profit. It gets sucked up by the ethanol, and Bob's your uncle.....

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 13th, '06, 10:52

Harv-Have you noticed that at the bottom of that story is a small line that asks if you have a comment on the story, they invite you to write? Walter

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Sep 13th, '06, 18:01

Walt,
below is a copy of exactly what I wrote to them.

If Mr. Stockman is so confident his product is not causing damage to fiberglass fuel tanks, in essence causing engines to seize, would he be willing to back his statements with financial restitution for the hundreds of us that need to shell out $25,000 and more for the repair or replacement of our tanks and engines?

The only reason he is making these statements is because of the lucrative Federal grants and tax credits his industry, and the oil industry is receiving to put this garbage in our fuel tanks.

What he fails to point out is that the amount of fossil fuel being saved is negligable since it takes fossil fuel to process the corn and sugar into ethanol and once in our fuel gives us less economy than plain gasoline, therefore causing us to buy more fuel for the same amount of traveling. He also doesn't mention the fact that we don't have enough plants in the US to produce enough ethanol and therefore have to import our present ethanol stocks from outside the country, thus continuing to make us enegry dependant on other countries nonetheless.

Simply put, it is nothing more than a few companies and our government pulling the wool over our eyes for the profit of a select few at the expense of American citizens.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 13th, '06, 22:20

Bravo Harv-Beautifully said! Walter

bertram31.com

Wall Street Journal Ethanol Article

Wall Street Journal Ethanol Article

THANKS

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