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Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: NewbyBoats ()
Date: March 16, 2008 10:39AM

Hi, we're thinking of getting a boat to fish on the bay. Looking in the 25-30' range. My question pertains to fuel costs of running a boat for a day. As fuel prices are consistently ascending, are there any recommendations on fuel efficient boat design/engines? Any particular makers one likes? I read that Harley Designs out of florida has models running 3mpg for their 39'. I'm guessing the smaller models do better. What can someone expect with a 25-30'?

Thanks

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: TRICKIE ()
Date: March 16, 2008 12:49PM

Uh at the current price of gas, I would get a non motorized boat. I see people fishing all the time with them. I even see people fishing from a kayak on the Occoquan.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Popeye ()
Date: March 16, 2008 01:10PM

Sailboat or rowboat is the way to go now. I had a Boston Whaler once and loved
it for the first two years. Then maintenance and costs got very boring. The
best boat is "someone elses". The only thing I'd consider now is an inflatable
with an electric motor. The old addage that "the happiest day in a boat owners
life is the day he buys it and the day he sells it" is quite true. Renting a
boat for a day is a good deal nowdays. You dont have to tow it anywhere or pay
storage fees. You also dont have to worry about anyone stealing it (or its
parts) or vandalizing it.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: grunt ()
Date: March 16, 2008 03:00PM

I would say if you are concerned aboput gas costs, wait of on getting a boat all together and put the money down on repaying your auto loan or mortgagae. Besides having a boat in N. Virginia just doesnt make much sense.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Joey ()
Date: March 16, 2008 10:02PM

grunt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would say if you are concerned aboput gas costs,
> wait of on getting a boat all together and put the
> money down on repaying your auto loan or
> mortgagae. Besides having a boat in N. Virginia
> just doesnt make much sense.


$5 gas multiplied by a few hundred gallons is tough for 95% of people to swallow, not just those on the edge. Also, the guy/girl said BAY so all those recommending kayaks and inflatables, learn to read.

Joe

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: TRICKIE ()
Date: March 16, 2008 10:51PM

Pohick Bay is a bay and I have kayaked there.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: grunt ()
Date: March 16, 2008 11:23PM

check out the bay of e. You might find some good deals there

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Popeye ()
Date: March 17, 2008 01:33AM

Good deals here too. If you do it right, its time to unfurl the jib!

http://www.merrillstevens.com/index.cfm/id/39.html

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: inkahootz ()
Date: March 17, 2008 03:11AM

If you are going to get a boat, make sure to register and dock it in Prince William County. The reason being is that you don't have to pay personal property taxes on boats in that county. I don't recommend buying one, since they are a big money pit. Dry docking costs thousands and filling your tank can cost up to a couple of hundreds dollars at a time. You can, however, get good deals at the boat shows in Chantilly and D.C. if you are serious about doing it.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: holeintheh2o ()
Date: March 17, 2008 06:07AM

The old adage is "if you need to ask how much gas does it use, you can't afford it"

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: NewbyBoats ()
Date: March 17, 2008 07:23AM

Thanks for the responses everyone. I should have been clearer but did mean the Chesapeake Bay. We bought a vacation place near there and was looking to take advantage of the water.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: duh ()
Date: March 17, 2008 08:45PM

NewbyBoats Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi, we're thinking of getting a boat to fish on
> the bay. Looking in the 25-30' range. My
> question pertains to fuel costs of running a boat
> for a day. As fuel prices are consistently
> ascending, are there any recommendations on fuel
> efficient boat design/engines? Any particular
> makers one likes? I read that Harley Designs out
> of florida has models running 3mpg for their 39'.
> I'm guessing the smaller models do better. What
> can someone expect with a 25-30'?
>
> Thanks

Powerboats use a lot of fuel because they never "coast"....marine engines are ALWAYS "climbing a steep hill, so to speak.

I would suggest a twin 4-stroke outboard setup for fuel economy (and performance) Yamaha and Honda make great ones...hull design is very important too, but I don't know what's new out there these days.

BTW, the term "mpg" is not used in the boat biz, that I've ever heard of. I'd be suspicious of any builder making such a claim....there's too many variables. It's "gph" (gallons per hour) that boats have historically been rated by for fuel efficiency.

I highly recommend that you install "flow meters"...a gauge that measures fuel flow to each engine in gallons per hour. They are expensive but can save you many times their cost in fuel.

Example: I run an old 57 foot Chris*Craft with twin 8V-71TI Detroit Diesels that can drink well over 100 gallons per hour wide at full throttle. How much over I don't know...my flow meters peg at 50 gph (each). Of course, I very rarely push the sticks to the wall! LOL

But, it is AMAZING how much a small throttle adjustment (less than 100 rpm on my boat) at cruising speed can reduce fuel consumption. Every boat has a "sweet spot" where you achieve the best hull speed vs. fuel consumption.

You'll never find that sweet spot without flow meters...scum on the hull, tides, current and loading can all affect gph from one day to the next. FlowScan is a good brand of meters...mine are working great after 20+ years.

Yeah, if you have a place on the Bay...you simply MUST have a boat....period! LOL

PS: The average cruise ship goes about a foot (12 inches) on a gallon of fuel!

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: NewbyBoats ()
Date: March 18, 2008 05:45AM

duh Wrote:
>
> Powerboats use a lot of fuel because they never
> "coast"....marine engines are ALWAYS "climbing a
> steep hill, so to speak.
>
> I would suggest a twin 4-stroke outboard setup for
> fuel economy (and performance) Yamaha and Honda
> make great ones...hull design is very important
> too, but I don't know what's new out there these
> days.
>
> BTW, the term "mpg" is not used in the boat biz,
> that I've ever heard of. I'd be suspicious of any
> builder making such a claim....there's too many
> variables. It's "gph" (gallons per hour) that
> boats have historically been rated by for fuel
> efficiency.
>
> I highly recommend that you install "flow
> meters"...a gauge that measures fuel flow to each
> engine in gallons per hour. They are expensive
> but can save you many times their cost in fuel.
>
> Example: I run an old 57 foot Chris*Craft with
> twin 8V-71TI Detroit Diesels that can drink well
> over 100 gallons per hour wide at full throttle.
> How much over I don't know...my flow meters peg at
> 50 gph (each). Of course, I very rarely push the
> sticks to the wall! LOL
>
> But, it is AMAZING how much a small throttle
> adjustment (less than 100 rpm on my boat) at
> cruising speed can reduce fuel consumption. Every
> boat has a "sweet spot" where you achieve the best
> hull speed vs. fuel consumption.
>
> You'll never find that sweet spot without flow
> meters...scum on the hull, tides, current and
> loading can all affect gph from one day to the
> next. FlowScan is a good brand of meters...mine
> are working great after 20+ years.
>
> Yeah, if you have a place on the Bay...you simply
> MUST have a boat....period! LOL
>
> PS: The average cruise ship goes about a foot (12
> inches) on a gallon of fuel!

Thanks. Any thoughts on the motorsailers?

http://www.iboats.com/boats/marine--1/boats--10/sailboats--104/motorsailer--1089/index.html?order=price

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Cap'n Hulka ()
Date: March 18, 2008 08:06PM

Forget the sail, you'd look good in this:

http://www.donzimarine.com/

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: duh ()
Date: March 19, 2008 12:02AM

NewbyBoats wrote
>
>Thanks. Any thoughts on the motorsailers?


I've been aboard some nice ones, but they are compromises....not particularly great at either (sailing or powering) IMO.

Hey, I though you said your primary interest was fishing? If so, sailboats are awful for that....you sure don't need a mast, boom, or stays in the way of your rod handling/fish fighting!

Get a nice center console with w/4-stroke outboard(s).

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: NewbyBoats ()
Date: March 19, 2008 03:02AM

duh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I've been aboard some nice ones, but they are
> compromises....not particularly great at either
> (sailing or powering) IMO.
>
> Hey, I though you said your primary interest was
> fishing? If so, sailboats are awful for
> that....you sure don't need a mast, boom, or stays
> in the way of your rod handling/fish fighting!
>
> Get a nice center console with w/4-stroke
> outboard(s).

Am definitely more interested in fishing but the wife has other ideas. The occasional trip to Md and other day trips would be other uses. Again, not very knowledgeable with boats but I'd imagine one could tether the masts down when fishing (or just go engine for trolling)

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: duh ()
Date: March 19, 2008 09:58AM

I don't know about that idea...unless it's a very small motorsailer, unstepping the mast is a major undertaking. Not something you'd want to try underway.

You should get a sailboat for mama...and get yourself, say a 17' Boston Whaler (or similar) for fishing.

That's what I do, I have my big boat for trips and dockside living...and an old (1976) 17' Boston Whaler Montauk, with a late model 90 hp Yamaha, for goofing around, skiing, etc. I can ride all day on 15-20 gallons or so.

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Fairfaxed ()
Date: March 25, 2008 09:36AM

Hey NewbyBoats,

Duh has given you some very sound advice and it's apparent he knows his stuff.

I would agree that a motor sailer would do neither well and if boating on the bay you would want a better performing sailboat. No matter where you boat you'll want a better power boat than the motor sailer would be.

The advice of a twin 4-stroke outboard would be ideal for fishing but not make a fun or comfortable cruiser.

I also have an old Chris Craft (ok...actually two of them. It's a sickness). I have a '38 Commander with twin gas big blocks ($$$) and they're quite thirsty.
Keep in mind that it's a lot of boat when you factor in the solid glass construction and heavy construction (i.e. 23,000 lbs dry weight).

Now my other smaller boat is a '25 Chris Craft Catalina with a single GM 350 inboard. This boat will cruise at around 10-12 GPH and at a speed somewhere in the 20-23 mph range (about 20 kt). "Sleeps four" if need be but two are plenty comfortable, it's a good weekender for a couple or with a small kid.

Remember, you're not going to be running the engine(s) all the time with a cruiser. You go for a couple of hours and then drop the anchor or tie up at a dock (like the Tiki Bar in Solomans). When you're fishing, which is great from a boat like this with a nice sized cockpit, you may be trolling and then consumption of gas goes even lower.

By the way, I bought the '25 Chris Craft from out on the bay, near Deale. I paid about $7000 for it and spent a lot of time fixing her up. I re-powered with a new motor and new exhaust as well but total $$$ is still only around $15k.

Chris Craft also made a '28 Catalina that offers a little more cabin space but the '25 would be a good size to learn piloting skills.

Best Regards !

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Re: Question to boat owners. Fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Lurker.. ()
Date: March 28, 2008 02:46AM

If the boat is of any size and going to be docked, Dock it in Maryland. Owning a boat in Virginia is considered a luxury. In Maryland a boat is part of the economy.

Know I'm jone'n for some Maryland crab cakes. Here crabby crabby, I have some chicken bones for you. LOL

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