Winter is upon us, and for those living in cold-weather areas, this unfortunately means a season on the hard. Boaters who winterize are faced with a question: Should I fill my fuel tanks for winter storage or leave them empty? The answer has generated much debate.
A brief history of how fuels have evolved over the last half-century may help to shed some light on your choice. Several decades ago, the U.S. government began to focus on reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Around the same time, emissions and greenhouse gas reductions became a national priority. Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1963 imposed regulations on motor vehicle emissions, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 introduced the concept of alternative fuels and nonpetroleum-based replacements. As a result of…
