GL: Fuel Price

[Tommy Terrific]

  Jim,

  I think what everybody forgets is that there are factors beyond our 
control, that will significantly influence our fuel consumption.  The two 
obvious ones are hull entry (are we cutting through or pushing water out of 
the way) and underwater configuation (the chines, hull 
design-desplacement/semi/full/planing).
  At 7knts, I leave virtually zero wake, hardly a ripple, while other hulls 
will cause huge wakes.  With the rising price of any type of fuel, we that 
are buying boats, need to look at these things more closely.

  Tommy
  Lying Miami Beach
  Aboard LOVERBOAT
  a 50' trawler

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Jim Fidler" <fidlerjim@earthlink.net>
  To: "D C *Mac* Macdonald" <k2gkk@hotmail.com>; "great-loop" 
<great-loop@lists.samurai.com>
  Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 3:05 PM
  Subject: Re: GL: Fuel Price


  > On the Loop in 2004 we measured exactly our gasoline usage and kept
  > complete records.  Our Floscans agreed with receipts within 3 percent.
  > (I never got around to calibrating the Floscans.)
  >
  > Our 36 Mainship had twin Crusader 370 hp (350 cubic inch) gas engines
  > and our overall Loop average was 1.46 statute mpg.  We went "fast" 
(about 15
  > mph) when crossing large bodies of water but slow the rest of the time.
  > Much of the slow time we ran one engine at 1800 to 2000 rpm.
  >
  > Using the Flowscans and an accurate fuel dipstick I was able to log each
  > day's mpg.  Looking back through the records I see that we typically got
  > 1.6 to 1.8 mpg on days when we ran 7 to 8 mph all day.  With the
  > favorable current of the Illinois and Mississippi we usually got over 2 
mpg.
  >
  > Gas boats don't have to be such fuel hogs.  We used 3889 gallons.
  >
  > I doubt my "new" Cat diesels and 43 foot trawler will do this well.
  >
  > Jim Fidler  "Fiddlesticks"
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