Just an FYI.

I get the BoatsUS Seaworthy ezine and it has a good article regarding how bad E-15 fuel is.

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2012/january/smallstuff.asp

About 25% down the page is this article.
Last fall, the Department of Energy (DOE) released the results of its tests on the effects of E15 on marine engines—inboards, outboards, and I/Os. Without going into detail, all of the engines tested with E15 had problems, including severe damage to components, misfiring, and an increase in exhaust emissions. Two of the three outboards that were being tested conked out before the tests were completed. In contrast, the engines in an E0 control group did not exhibit any fuel-related issues. After reviewing the results, Margaret Podlich, the president of BoatUS, said that while the organization supports the effort to develop renewable fuels, the trend of using higher and higher levels of ethanol is clearly not the solution to America's energy problems.

If not E15, then what? The answer may be butanol, which, like ethanol, is an alcohol that can be made from corn, beets, and various cellulosic raw materials— switchgrass, wood chips, or a host of other organic materials. Unlike ethanol, however, butanol is less corrosive, doesn't attract moisture, can be shipped through existing pipelines, and has a much higher energy value (110,000 Btu per gallon vs. 84,000 Btu for ethanol). In a recent test, an unmodified 1992 Buick, powered solely by 100-percent butanol, was driven coast to coast, averaging 26 mpg, which was a significant improvement over the 22 mpg that the car had been getting with E0 gasoline. Finally, in terms of flammability, butanol is similar to diesel fuel and would be far safer on a boat than gasoline or ethanol.

The next and obvious question is, why aren't we all using butanol? Part of the answer has to do with how the stuff is—or was—made. Back in the 1980s when the government started looking into various biofuels, the cost to produce butanol was significantly higher than it was to produce ethanol. That cost advantage gave ethanol a 30-year head start in the race to become the nation's biofuel. In the last few years, however, improved technology has meant that the cost to produce a gallon of each fuel is roughly the same (although butanol is far cheaper to produce in terms of the amount of energy delivered per gallon).

It's also possible that butanol may have some long-term effect on engines that has yet to be uncovered. (Remember, many years ago, everyone thought ethanol would solve the nation's energy problems.) There is also the not-too-insignificant reality of ethanol's financial and political momentum in the marketplace. But hope springs eternal; ethanol plants can be converted to make butanol, and if the stuff proves to be as promising as scientists believe it is, there may be good news down the road for anyone who owns a car or boat.

1977 GT Resurrection
Let me introduce myself.
Way back in the dark ages, 1979, I was attending the local J.C. trying to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  Some people might say that I never did figure that out.  I caught Hot Boat fever and the only way I could afford to cure the fever was to build one.  I stumbled across GT boats in Pacheco, CA and found my boating Mecca.  They had a hull lying in the grass.  The gel coat on the bubble had a brownish tinge and spider web surface cracks.  Reluctantly, they sold the hull and a used tandem axel trailer to me for about a grand, or close to it.  I was now the proud owner of an 18 ft, bubble deck, semi-v, river racer hull and a rusty trailer.  Now what?  I had been hanging out with some friends who were into v-drive drag racing.  They of course gave me a bad time about even considering a bubble squirter instead of a real boat.  Through them, I was given 3-4 BBC in various stages of failure.  From those engines, I was able to build a 402 BBC.  Through another friend I bought a new Berkeley 12JC-A-H pump directly from the factory which was 15 miles from home.  I made my motor mounts and found a set of used Glen Wood water jacketed exhaust manifolds and OT pipes.  I layed out to cut the holes in the hull to mount the Jet and chickened out.  I just could not do it.  I was able to get the guys at GT to mount the pump for me.  I can’t remember how much they charged, but it was worth it. FYI, my layout was correct.  I mounted a 40 gallon belly tank and started shopping around for some seats.  About that time, another friend’s boat sank.  I bought his seats, go peddle and some other parts he had.  So after about a year has passed, we are ready to put this Rat Rod in the water.  The boat topped out at 100 mph, in the driveway.  The boat ran like a scalded dog in the water.  It sure loved that UNOCAL premium leaded gas.  I ran that boat in the Sacramento Delta and Lake Berryessa in Napa.  I never did clock the boat; GPS wasn’t around for us citizens to use yet.  Fast forward to 1989.  I decided it was time to get the boat and trailer painted and freshen it up.  I tore it down and got the hull off of the trailer.  I had a buddy paint the trailer with black Imron.  I was on a roll, the engine was opened up and looked great, new gaskets and ready to install.  Then life changed.  I fell in love and got married, bought a house that needed a full remodel, had a kid, moved across the country and the boat sat until now.  We live on the other side of the country and decided to buy some property on the river.  When you go to the river, you have got to have a boat.  She said, you need to put your boat together so we can use it next summer.

Life is good for those who are patient.

So here we are, resurrecting a 1977 GT Hot Rod boat.

I registered on this site and have read a lot of your posts and am looking forward to sharing and learning how to best get this boat back in the water.

SAM in L.A., that’s Lower Alabama.