![]() Fuel-injected engines handle the tuning automatically, but carbureted engines that are not properly tuned will lose even more horsepower. At 5,000 feet, properly tuned boat engines operating near Island Lake Marine will experience a 15-percent loss in horsepower. “We get a lot of people from Arizona or California and other low-elevation places who come to Colorado, go out boating, then bring their boat to our shop the next day worried that something’s wrong with their engine – but there usually isn’t,” Jensen said.īoat engines lose about 3 percent of their horsepower for every 1,000 feet of elevation above sea level. But he can predict that every summer will bring more than a few visiting boaters who neglected to tune their engines for altitude before launching their boats in one of the many nearby lakes. “It’s supposed to be 88 here today, but only in the low 40s and snowing tomorrow,” he said in late May. Scott Jensen, one of two owners of Island Lake Marine, says weather along the eastern edge of the Rockies is nearly impossible to predict. It boasts a massive pro shop stocked with watersports gear, and there’s a private lake out back suitable for boat tests and special events. Island Lake is a platinum-level Mercury dealer that offers virtually anything its customers seek – new and used boats, repower engines, boat repair, and engine repair and maintenance. Island Lake Marine in Fort Collins, Colorado, sits at 5,003 feet – less than half the elevation of nearby Rocky Mountain National Park, but high enough to negatively impact any engine not tuned for the environment. Perpetually sunny skies, low humidity and spectacular views typically ensure that boating in the mountains will be a major hit … unless you forget to prepare your engine for high-elevation performance before heading to high-elevation lakes.īoat engines require a few key adjustments to perform optimally where the “air is rare.” Fortunately, such engine adjustments usually aren’t complicated or grossly expensive. ![]()
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