Attn Yacht Owners: Distance/fuel question for you

Question

If you have a yacht, please share with me the size of your boat, engine make/size, fuel capacity, and how far it will carry you at cruising speed.

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

In the boat you choose, what size engines are in it?  And what is the size of the fuel tank.  We only hold 500 gallons and since it is a power boat, we have to plan our trips making sure we have marinas to stop at for fuel.

If you go along the baja down into Mexican waters you will have to be very careful about planning your trip so you don't run out of gas.  The little towns along the way have fuel but you really have to have your charts and know where they are... cause you can't see them while out in the ocean.  

At cruising speed you are probably only going to go 1 mile and use 3/4 of a gallon of gas... yes... We have a 40' Silverton.  We aren't doing any long cruises and when we go out we don't go fast, we probably keep it at 7 - 10 knots.  

If you have a sailboat, you can go much farther, much longer.  Consider a sail boat.  

Answer 2

I have a 48' sportfish Sedan cruiser twin 3208 TAs Cats>750 gals Diesel cruising speed 20 Knts> Depending on the seas>500 miles>Fuel prices hurt> But just take friends>

Answer 3

I agree with Capt. John, to be useful you need to know the details, like in his case he's on a big river, where I do most of my boating on Chesapeake bay.  Different boats, different conditions, different destinations. He and I are satisfied to putt-putt along, while serious yachts (80' or more) cruise at twice what we do.  The numbers are meaningful only in comparison to what you are planning.    

Answer 4

Wow man...

     This would be good information to have... if it was revelant to anything, but you need to give a lot more information... inorder to get information you can use.  ie: boat size, type, waterline length, hull type, and engine all these weigh both far and wide - too many variables for you to get any kind of realiable useful information...

   At any rate - I will gladly give you my information, but I can guarantee you, it will be of absolutely no value to your situation.

  My boat "SummerWind" which I live on and cruise full time, is 60 feet, has a 90 hp diesel and uses 2 1/2 gallons of fuel per hour at a 9 knot (10 mph) cruising speed. Since I live and constantly cruise around America's Great Loop - my vessel is capable of sustaining me with all my comforts of home for 9 weeks while cruising without refueling.

   She has a 900 gallon fuel capacity. I make it a point, that I cruise no more then about 8 hours a day, and I do not cruise more than 5 days a week - (I do not adhere to a strict "daily" or "weekend" schedule - but I do attempt to make engines hours "average" out over a month.  

I am retired and live on a budget - and of course, these days "fuel" is the major portion of that budget.

In my case especially, "distance" here is irrelevant - as I strive to maintain minimum engine rpms - not speed - so if I am with the current, great, if not, I slow down - I do not change my rpms to maintain speed. Unless of course I need to make a short quick manuver out of somebodys way or cross the river.

Right now (for example) with all the recent and current rains - I can book 'em down the Mississippi at about 21 miles an hour... If I were headed upstream on the Mississippi right now (which I never do) I would be going backwards. lol

     So, there you have it... I don't know how in the world you can find any useful purpose of this information as it pertains to your stated purpose  -  but maybe you will see now - you need to ask your question again, and give enough information so that your responses are beneficial to your situation.

Happy & Safe Boating!

My boat SummerWind websites are at:

http://www.sternwheeler.org/

http://boatwrights.org/

Answer 5

about two gallons per mile per engine.