What's lurking in your gas tank?

I was running the outboard on the Boston Whaler yesterday to winterize the motor. The motor started up OK, but died after warming up for a couple of minutes. I tried and tried to restart it, but couldn't get a kick out of the engine. Although there were a couple of gallons in the 6 gallon portable tank I was using, the engine sounded suspiciously like it was out of gas. I switched over to the second tank and after a couple of false starts, it started right up and ran. Using a large funnel, I drained the gas from the first tank out into a can. As the tank neared empty, the fuel started looking milky. The photograph shows what it looked like after the gas and water separated. This is my first exposure to serious ethanol/water separation. I filled up the tank in September, and it sat 2/3 empty until late November. Glad I didn't run into this while out on the water!

My fleet is put to bed for the winter now. I'll be rebuilding the windshield for Lots-A-Luck in the garage, and dreaming of warmer weather. Keep warm!
Chuck

Why trailer wheel bearings need to be re-packed every year

After every season, I pull the wheel bearings off my trailer, clean them out and and re-pack them with fresh grease. This year, when I pulled the right hand wheel off the trailer, the seal was in perfect condition. The grease looked like the day it had been packed. There was no evidence of water infiltration. I started to wonder if I really needed to re-pack the bearings this year. When I pulled off the other wheel, it was a different story. From the color of the grease, it was immediately obvious that water had infiltrated the seal. The grease was milky white with rust mixed in. Letting that side go through the winter and into another season would have been a recipie for disaster. Each season, I put a few hundred miles on the trailer. I mostly use the local launch ramps around town, within a few miles of my home, but I do make a few trips to Newport, Point Judith and Charlestown each summer that rack up some highway miles. We've all seen too many boat trailers left along the side of the road due to a bearing failure to let this go. If you haven't pulled those bearings out yet, now is a perfect time to take care of them.
Regards,
Chuck