SCREENS

(continued from page 25) and refill the tank. Burn it in some less critical equipment than your outboard, like a lawn mower. Otherwise, call a disposal service.

You don’t want to leave the tank empty for all that time because 1) it is sure to collect condensation and 2) an empty tank is more of a hazard than a full tank, since gas fumes are way more explosive than gas itself. You can pump it out by disconnecting the fuel line at the engine and using the primer bulb to pump out the tank.

(It goes faster than you think and doesn’t require a big purchase of special equipment.)

The engine gets fuel via a hose, and it most certainly can be disconnected.

Usually, there is a short section of hose coming out of the engine connected to the fuel hose coming from the tank and connected by a double-ended connector just downstream of the primer bulb. (Of course, you could always disconnect at the primer bulb itself, at the boat’s fuel filter, or at the engine’s onboard fuel filter.) harm in mixing synthetic with conventional oils. All true. However, the picture shown reflected a quart of conventional oil and a quart of synthetic blend. Actually, part synthetic — also called synthetic blend or semisynthetic — oils are blends of mineral oil (conventional) and synthetic base oil. Part-synthetic motor oil is designed to have some of the benefits of a full synthetic but at a lower cost. I think you should have displayed a quart of full synthetic to emphasize your point.

Rich Redhill Melbourne, Florida

Thanks, Rich. Point taken. My new boat came with new Garmin touchscreen electronics. I love them, but between sunscreen, oil, bait, lunch and more, the screens need to be cleaned often. I do not want to damage my nice, new screens. How should I keep them desmudged?

Rocco Variale Providence, Rhode Island