GL: Miles per day Great Circle was fuel use

[Charles & Pat Culotta]

When THE WIFE and I began planning the cruise we knew we would do it only one
time so we want to see and do all that we can.
We left Patterson, La on Mar 1 and today we are on the 183 day and have 3426
miles behind us ( for the math impaired that's 18.7 miles per day).  Anchored
in the St Mary's river at the mouth of the Potomac on Chesapeake Bay.
HMMMMM what is that stuff about  you must clear Chicago by Labor Day?  Guess
we will not make it,  even if we kick it up a couple hundred  rpm !!!!!!!!

The first  weeks we made our **normal 50 miles per day** as we had traversed
that area too many times. We gradually reduced, not deliberately it just
happens, daily runs until when a 35 mile day looms we groan!!!

Hey, we are on the water to have fun, this aint no marathon.!!!!  Some
advantages to a short run per day is that we get to the anchorage BEFORE it is
full and get to tour ashore that day instead of the next day.


We are not contrarians but we run at 1500 rpm that yields 8 statute miles per
hr in flat water and that translates to sog slower or faster but we stick to
it and the fuel savings are significant. The following is part of a recent
post
of mine to another list :

************
We have a 45 ft CHB p/h twin diesel boat, ( for the past 21 yrs) with
naturally aspirated Perkins 6.354 engines 135 hp each.

We are on the Great Circle Cruise and are at anchor in St Mary's , Md.
Fueled up Friday in Solomon's, Md.
Last fuel was in Swansboro, NC. 1286 miles ago. Still had over 150 gallons on
brd.
We averaged  2.6 gph TOTAL FOR BOTH ENGINES and got 3.6 mpg. these numbers
have held true for the past few yrs of cruising for total  of well in excess
of 10,000 miles
We  run the engines at 1500 rpm and make 8 statute miles per hour in flat
water. Sometimes we have a sog slower or faster!!!! Stay at the same rpm. In
other words, we aint digging no hole in the water!!!!!

The other big  expense is marinas and we avoid those like the plague,
particularly in Fla. and the East coast as $2.25 PLUS per ft per nt. is way
too much and that is cheap in some places. OH, and that is plus electricity
and sometimes water. What a  rip. ( end of rant).

As always, YMMV.

CCC

M/V CC RIDER
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
CHARLES C. JR. and PAT CULOTTA
PATTERSON, LA.
http://www.geocities.com/charlesculotta/