An Alternative to Towing Your Boat to the Gas Station

If your local gas station is one of those that's always busy, there's an easier way to top off the gas and oil in your boat than towing it into the thick of things.

Because I've always kept my rigs stored at West Neck Marina, I used to tow the boat to either the Red Barn or 7-11 in downtown Pungo whenever I needed fuel. Doing that this time of year isn't so bad, but in the middle of summer, it can be a royal pain having to deal with all the traffic in those two places. Accordingly, I decided to find a better way of performing that task, and it's something anyone can do, no matter where you keep your boat.

I first went out and bought five 5-gallon gas cans, which promptly demonstrated to me that they wouldn't measure up to their billing. You couldn't use the nozzles provided to pour the fuel into your boat's gas tank without also ending up with a puddle around your feet--not a good thing under any circumstances. But given the price I had paid for these cans, I was determined to make them work--one way or the other.

After some experimentation, I have settled on the Flo 'n' Go Maxflo siphon and pump (pictured here), which is available at Northern Tool (located in the JANAF Shopping Center), 1120 N. Military Hwy., Norfolk. The regular price is $39.99 + tax, and I'm here to tell you it's money well spent, if for no other reason than it, unlike the gas cans I bought, lives up to its billing. Time after time, it flawlessly delivers the fuel quickly and without any leaks. I consistently can transfer about 10 gallons of fuel from the can to the boat in about 10 or 12 minutes, and as far as I'm concerned, that's not bad.

Sure, you initially have to assemble the handful of items in the box, but when a mechanical klutz like myself can do it, you can be assured anyone can do it.

I've been using the Flo 'n' Go Maxflo since earlier this year when my tourney partner, Rob, steered me onto it. He, too, has one and has nothing but good things to say about it.

When it comes to refilling the oil reservoir on my boat, I use a Pennzoil Multi-Use Hand Pump like the one pictured here. You usually can find it at either Northern Tool or the local Walmart for about $10.

Just like the Flo 'n' Go Maxflo, you stick the top hose of this hand pump in the liquid to be transferred and the bottom hose in the reservoir. You can transfer a gallon of oil in only a few minutes. As I've learned the hard way, this method sure beats trying to use a funnel or dumping the oil directly from the container, unless you don't mind cleaning up giant messes.

As I noted in the headline to this post, this idea is offered just as an alternative to dragging your boat into the local gas station for a fill-up. It works for me, but if it's not your cup of tea, that's OK, too.