Eco-friendly fuel powers tiny California fleet
June 15, 2002

The versatile bean found in fake hot dogs and imitation milk is powering a tiny fleet based in Moss Landing, a fishing village almost midway between Monterey and Santa Cruz, Calif.

Capt. Steph Dutton is running his two whale-watching vessels on a costly but environmentally friendly fuel extracted from soybeans. The Princess of Whales and Sanctuary in Moss Landing Harbor have been gulping "biodiesel" for more than a month. And a Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute boat is conducting its mission using the farm-grown energy source.

Dutton says the boats run just as well as they did on traditional diesel, but the biodiesel is less polluting and featured the bonus of smelling like baking cookies rather than a passing truck.

Dutton has been using a blend of 25 percent biodiesel and 75 percent diesel in his boats, but he said he'd like to convert completely to the soybean fuel if the cost for the product drops.

When Dutton fueled his boats last month, biodiesel cost more than $3 a gallon. Regular diesel was going for about $1.30 a gallon.

But Dutton said the expense is worth it to help protect the ocean and reduce America's dependence on fossil fuel.

"There's an environmental price to be paid," he said.

The biodiesel is sold by the Richmond, Calif.-based company CytoCulture and was transported for a one-day fuel-up to Moss Landing's Woodward Marine station by Toro Petroleum in Salinas, Calif.

Dennis Long, manager of Woodward Marine, said he'd like to continue to provide the fuel, but it may not be realistic. In order to sell biodiesel on a regular basis, he'd have to add another fuel tank to the dock, which would require permits from the California Coastal Commission, state Department of Fish and Game, and the National Marine Sanctuary.

And with the price so high, demand is low.

"For the struggling fisherman, there's no way," Long said.

In the last few years more vehicles around the state have started running on biodiesel. The city of Berkeley is fueling some of its trucks with a product made from recycled vegetable oil. San Francisco International Airport is experimenting with biodiesel in its shuttles.

To help Dutton cover his extra costs, some whale-watching passengers have pitched in with donations. This week a longtime customer dropped off a $200 check, said Dutton.

Sanctuary Cruises plans to raise its rates by $2.50 a passenger in June to help cover the cost of the new fuel. Whale-watcher Varuna Sirabella, who was preparing for a trip last week, said she doesn't mind the idea of paying a little extra for a cleaner burning fuel.

"Imagine the benefits of making this effort," she said.

If more boat owners started using the soybean-based fuel, the cost would eventually drop, Dutton said.

Capt. Brian Ackerman of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has hopped on board the biodiesel bandwagon. He's using the same 25 percent blend in the 85-foot Zephyr research vessel.

Ackerman said he has heard that some boats using biodiesel have had problems with leaky hoses, but he said he has had no extra maintenance problems so far. He said he also hasn't noticed a decrease in horsepower.

One of the advantages of using the soybean-based fuel seems to be a reduction in the number of seasick scientists. Researchers working on deck no longer have to smell the strong diesel fumes, which can make them queasy, said Ackerman. He plans to increase the percentage of biodiesel in his tanks gradually and hopes to be running on 100 percent biodiesel within the next six months.

Ackerman said two other research institute vessels may switch to biodiesel fuel if cost for the product decreases.