Rubright Marinas · Fuel and Marina Store
Ethanol Free Gas for Boats, and a Store at Every Dock
Every Rubright marina pumps 100 percent ethanol free gas for boats, treated with Primrose Fuel Additives. The specification is the same on Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee and on Barren River Lake in Kentucky, and it was chosen to protect marine engines rather than to save a few cents a gallon.
Each location also has a marina store for ice, snacks, sunscreen and the safety gear you are required to carry. Below is why the fuel matters, where to buy it, and what you will find on the shelves.
Why ethanol free gas for boats is worth it
Most gasoline at roadside stations in the United States is blended with up to ten percent ethanol. In a car that is rarely an issue, because the tank is emptied and refilled every week or so. Boats live differently. A boat might be used twice a month, its tank vented to warm, damp air coming off the lake the whole time.
Ethanol attracts and holds water. Over weeks, a blended tank can take on enough moisture that the water and ethanol separate from the gasoline and sink as a layer at the bottom. Fuel pickups draw from the bottom. When that layer reaches the engine, you get rough running, stalling and corrosion inside the fuel system.
What ethanol does to boat fuel systems
Water is only half the problem. Ethanol is also a strong solvent. In older outboards and sterndrives, it softens rubber fuel hoses and gaskets that were made before blended fuel was common, and it dislodges varnish and grit from the inside of tanks. That debris ends up in filters, injectors and carburetor jets.
Two stroke outboards and carbureted engines tend to suffer first, but no engine likes water in its fuel. Ethanol free gas costs a little more at the pump. Compared with a carburetor rebuild, a replaced fuel pump or a lost weekend, the difference is small.
Where to find marina fuel on each lake
Gallatin Marina
Gallatin Marina, where the group began, runs a fuel dock that welcomes any passing boat. Nobody needs a slip or rack contract to fill up there.
The Boathouse at Benders Ferry
The Boathouse in Mount Juliet handles fuel as part of its concierge storage. Storage customers ask for fuel when they book a launch, and the crew fills the tank before the boat goes in the water. You pay only for the gallons pumped.
Barren River State Dock
Down at Lucas, Kentucky, within the state resort park, the dock sells the same ethanol free fuel. It also keeps its own rental fleet running on it, which matters with so many different people at the helm through the summer.
Peninsula Marina
Near Glasgow on the Kentucky side, Peninsula Marina sells fuel and supplies to every boater, whether or not you hold a slip there. It is the quietest of our docks, so a fill up is usually quick.
Most boaters fill up wherever they launch, but on a long day of cruising it helps to know where else you can top off. On Old Hickory, that means Gallatin. On Barren River, both Kentucky docks sell fuel to visitors.
Fuel dock hours
Fuel docks and stores keep the same seasonal schedule as their marina. Expect the longest days between Memorial Day weekend and the end of August, trimmed hours in spring and fall, and a winter closure at every location. Each location’s current schedule is posted on our marina hours page. If you are heading out specially for fuel, a quick call before you leave home saves a wasted trip.
Federal holidays bring extended hours, 8 AM to 8 PM at every marina and store. A Monday holiday means the marinas take the next day, Tuesday, off.
Fueling safely
Tie the boat off securely before anyone touches the nozzle. Shut down the engine and any electronics you do not need, and make sure nobody aboard is smoking. Close hatches, windows and cabin doors so vapor cannot settle into the bilge.
Portable tanks should be filled on the dock, not in the boat. After fueling, wipe up any drips. If the boat has an inboard or sterndrive engine, run the bilge blower for at least four minutes and check for fuel smell before starting, as the Coast Guard recommends.
What the marina store stocks
Our stores are built for a day on the lake rather than as full chandleries. You will find ice, cold drinks, snacks and ice cream, sunscreen and sunglasses, apparel, rope, basic hardware and boat supplies, and life jackets in a range of sizes. Stock varies a little between locations.
Think of the marina store as the last stop before you leave the dock: the place to grab the bag of ice you forgot, a spare line, or a hat for the child who left theirs in the car.
Required safety gear
Tennessee asks for one wearable life jacket per person on board, a throwable cushion or ring on boats sixteen feet or longer, an extinguisher aboard most powered boats, and something to make a sound signal, such as a horn or whistle. In Kentucky every person needs a life jacket, and children younger than twelve have to wear theirs whenever a boat under twenty six feet is moving. Coming up short is far easier to fix at the store counter than during a stop by a lake officer.
Fit matters as much as numbers. Children’s life jackets are sized by body weight, and an adult jacket that is too loose can ride up over the chin in the water. Try each one on at the dock, fasten every buckle and strap, and swap any that do not fit snugly.
Packing for the lake
A short checklist before you leave the house saves a lot of trouble: life jackets that fit everyone, sunscreen, plenty of drinking water, ice, a dry bag for phones and keys, any boating certificate you need, and a spare dock line. Whatever slips through, the store can usually cover.
Keeping non ethanol gas for boats fresh over winter
Even ethanol free fuel slowly loses quality when it sits for months. During the season, keeping the tank close to full between trips leaves less room for damp air. Before the boat is laid up for winter, ask the staff how your particular engine should be prepared, including whether a stabilizer makes sense. When an engine stumbles after a long rest, old gas is high on any mechanic’s list of suspects.
Frequently asked questions
Is all of your fuel ethanol free?
Yes. Every gallon sold at our four docks is free of ethanol and treated with Primrose additives.
Can anyone buy fuel at your docks?
Yes at three of them: Gallatin, Peninsula and the state dock at Lucas welcome every boater. In Mount Juliet, The Boathouse keeps its fuel for the boats it stores.
Do I have to book fuel ahead of time?
Only at The Boathouse, where you request it along with your launch. At the other three marinas, pull up to the fuel dock during opening hours.
Do the stores sell life jackets?
Yes. Each store keeps life jackets in several sizes, along with ice, drinks, sunscreen and basic boat supplies.
Questions about fuel or the store at one location? Our main line, 615-452-9876, can connect you, or browse our FAQ page.
Talk to the marina that fits your boat.