A couple of issues have bubbled up over the past few weeks that seem

 to be causing anxiety in the snowmobiling community. Both of these

 issues will be covered in the February issue of the Maine

 Snowmobiler, but given the number of calls and e-mails arriving at

 the office, we thought it would be a good idea to send out an interim

 update.

 ETHANOL - The introduction of Ethanol as a gasoline additive

 statewide has led to a lot of concerns regarding snowmobile engine

 performance and claims of severe damage to engines. Congress has

 mandated the use of Ethanol, and it will be unlikely we will be

 seeing a reduction of it in the future. It reacts very differently

 than regular gasoline with the biggest problem apparently being a

 relatively short period of time before it begins to break down.

 Unavoidable moisture in your tank is also a strong mitigating factor.

 Ethanol is also an outstanding solvent, so all of the gook that has

 accumulated in your tank over the years is now at least partially

 dissolved and working its way through your fuel system. Most problems

 are being reported from riders who topped off the remains of last

 season’s ethanol-free gas with the new blend. In talking to the

 Snowmobile Manufacturers Association and a number of dealers, we have

 been unable to substantiate internet chat-room rumors of dozens of

 sleds sitting at dealers waiting for blown engines to be replaced.

 However if you are concerned, there are some steps you can take to

 avoid potential problems. Use your gas up each time you ride. The

 longer it sits in the tank, the greater the potential for problems.

 Several dealers have recommended using high-test when you fill up.

 The higher octane currently costs less than what we were paying for

 regular last season, and it may make a difference. It may also be

 helpful to use a fuel additive which can offset some of the ethanol

 induced problems. The most commonly mentioned ones are K-100, and

 Marine Stabil. Note that Marine Stabil is blue vs. the red that many

 of us are used to. You should absolutely avoid the use of

 conventional dry gas - it will only increase the effect of ethanol.

 You may also want to remember this next spring when you fire up your

 lawn mower, garden tractor, etc. The same problems may occur.

 INSURANCE - Many of you have been receiving calls from worried

 landowners following a television report Monday night regarding the

 American Automobile Association Insurance Company’s decision to

 cancel a landowner’s policy because he allowed a snowmobile trail on

 his property. This is an isolated incident, and certainly not a trend

 in the way insurance companies are viewing trails. The landowner in

 question was quite angry and immediately switched companies, saving

 several hundred dollars to boot!

 Certainly most of you are familiar with Title 14, Section 159-A;

 Maine’s outstanding landowner liability law, which for the most part

 prevents any liability claims against a landowner by persons who

 access their property either with or without permission for

 recreation or harvesting purposes. Unfortunately, AAA and their

 out-of-state insurance company choose not to believe in the

 protections of this law even though, as near as can be determined,

 only two cases have been filed, and both upheld the law.

 I have been told by Bob Duplessie, Maine’s Recreational Access and

 Landowner Relations, that they are actively communicating with AAA in

 an attempt to educate them and time will tell as to whether they

 change their way of thinking. The good news is that just about every

 other insurance company in the state is fine with the law, and if any

 landowners do have a problem, the best advice is to look for another

 company - they may even find themselves saving some money.

 MSA WEB SITE - The MSA web site, mesnow.com, has been down since

 approximately 3:00 pm Thursday. as a result of a major hardware

 failure. We have been assured that the failure is unrelated to either

 ethanol or insurance issues. Our provider has been working through

 the night, and we expect to be back online as soon as possible. In

 the meantime thank you for your patience…

 Stay warm,

 Bob Meyers