Re: gas leaking around spark plug ?
Is the spark plug installed tight. Which spark plug (you have eight of them)? Check for a fuel leak somewhere up top of the engine. The fuel may just be leaking down over the plug. And this is a fire hazard so don't operate the boat until you determine for certain it is or is not gasoline. We can't tell you how to fix a leak (fuel or water) since we can't see your boat and have no idea as to "how much" liquid you are seeing. You need to do more in-depth investigation. Fuel around a spark plug can come only from inside the engine in which case a loose spark plug would be very obvious, or it would need to drip from higher up on the engine or be sprayed onto the plug. So check around the fuel pump, carburetor, fuel lines, etc., for leakage. If the liquid turns out to be water, that can be from a cracked head, leaking head gasket, leaking manifolds or gaskets, etc.
