GL: Fuel Price

[John & Judy Gill]

Skipper Bob has it correct as usual.  If you are only going to do the  
Great Loop once and do not plan to make long range cruising your  
lifestyle then the added cost of a diesel powered boat may not be  
economical.  Using Skipper Bob's 6,000 mile Great Loop (ours was  
6,724 going the Lake Champlain route) then at a fuel savings of  
$13.000 (based on 6,000 miles and today's fuel prices) with diesel  
engines versus gasoline, it would take 7-1/2 to 8 years of annual  
cruising of 6,000 miles to amortize the $100,000 in added cost for a  
comparable boat with diesel engine(s) and generator.

We split our Great Loop trip up into three boating seasons to spread  
the cost over three years.  We went slow and averaged only 41 miles  
per day and our average cruising speed was only 8.79 statute miles  
per hour at 11.4 gallons per engine hour.

Our point is that if you slow down and smell the roses, you can  
effect about 20 percent fuel savings versus going fast (17 knots) and  
burning 40 gallons of gasoline per hour.

John Gill
AGLCA Looper