Why Jerry Jugs?

We often hear that unintentional drips from jerry jugs are a common source of annoying, accidental fuel spills and that tell-tale rainbow sheen on the water. Whether filling up a small outboard engine, a personal watercraft or transferring fuel from a container to a larger boat, jugs are often hard to manage. Not only are they heavy and tricky to balance, but gaskets, nozzles and air vents leak with near-certain predictability.

In boating, jerry jugs are nearly as common as fuel. In recent years, the design of the common jerry jug has changed to meet new laws restricting distribution to jugs that have features to prevent pollution and increase safety. So when boaters go shopping for a new jerry jug, they might not be able to find the familiar models of yesterday. In fact, the standard, free-flowing jerry jug with separate vent hole is currently banned from sale in 13 states and that number is rising. The EPA expects all 50 states to be affected by the end of 2009.

Read on for a closer look at new, and possibly improved products for transferring and dispensing fuel.