Speaking of Ethanol...fueling up for first time: Advice

[croaker stroker]

No sense in worrying about it. Non-ethanol is too hard to find. I just fuel up at the gas station and go.

*** I avoid marine fuel docks like the plague.

[SB Steve]

    About octane:   Keep in mind........gasoline in a vented tank will lose a certain amount of its octane rating over time.  Do a little research on this and you may rethink your decision regarding your fuel choice.  Lower octane fuels have a higher rate of detonation........not something you want in your outboard.  My father used to jokingly describe it this way:  High octane goes "Woosh".........Low octane goes "Bang".  (He had a unique way of educating stupid kids)  (ha ha)

Yat

I like "woosh"....Thanks Yat!

[SB Steve]

No sense in worrying about it. Non-ethanol is too hard to find. I just fuel up at the gas station and go.

*** I avoid marine fuel docks like the plague.

I will take your advice CS!!  Gas up and go!! Seeing as you are a Socal boater who probably doesn't have a problem with idle fuel, do you use any additives like Startron?

[croaker stroker]

I use Marine Stabil religiously. 

[SB Steve]

I use Marine Stabil religiously.

Good to know!  I have been looking for a new religion.

[croaker stroker]

[Tj805]

Get some k 100 .
I've been useing it in three outboards and none of them have had any problems .

[Sparhawk]

So I am fueling up my new to me/old Arima this week.  I have been running the engines off a remote 12 gallon tank for the moment.  Fortunately, the main tank was cleaned and emptied before I purchased the boat (which I assume is a 23 gallon based on the model year), and I have also purchased a new 3 gallon tank for the kicker.  All tanks have in-line filters, and I plan on adding a canister filter in the splash well for the main tank.

So I have an 88 Mercury 90 which was oil-injection but now runs off pre-mix as well as a 94 Mercury 8 kicker.  All 2 stroke.  I assume the oil ration is 50:1.  I believe also, I should be using 91 octane gas.  I don't think I need to worry about adding stabilizers, as I will be using the boat all year and not leaving any fuel sitting for too long.  Do I need to worry about adding additives to deal with ethanol?  I will be fueling up at a local Shell and Chevron which both have up to 10% ethanol.  Do I want to add any additives to deal with that?  Is the gas from these kind of stations recommended?

Thanks for the advice in advance.  This forum and its members has been so helpful thus far as I rig my boat since purchasing it last month.

Make sure the fuel nozzle goes in the fuel fill port and not a rod holder and don't ever top off the tank.