Fuel Costs, and How the Other Half Live

[rebel heart]

At the fuel docks around here there are mega yachts routinely taking on board ~$30K worth of fuel. Happens once every week or so in the summer. They have this contraption that links a few of the fuel nozzles together.

[gosstyla]

Originally Posted by RiverRat

Granted we're several years from an actual purchase, but we're leaning toward a power cat for several reasons. 1) we've never sailed (there's still time to learn) 2) we plan on more coastal / river / inlet cruising than bluewater 3) we'd want the space a cat provides and 4) cats tend to be more stable in weather. So, we're probably not the typical buyer, but get up and go for speed's sake isn't the draw. Although, it certainly is for some others.

K

And, if you get one with efficient semi-displacement hulls and don't weigh it down it won't take that much hp to power her. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect to be able to do 10 knots burning 3 gals or less per hour in calm conditions.

[hummingway]

I talked to a couple of people in the last year who had been sailors and prefered it but switched to motor because of the time factor. One of them had a very fast craft and he talked about going to a destination in a matter of hours that I might take a couple of days getting to. However he burned as much fuel in that one week as I would in a year.

On the island where I now live there is a gas station that sells dyed diesel. Legal for boats and farm vehicles. I fill up a couple of 20 litre cans and haul them to the boat. At about 90c per litre the effort is worth it when compared to the 1.20 I paid at the last deisel dock I subsidised.

The winds are not to be counted on in the salish sea so when I have someone on board on a schedule sometomes there's nothing for it but to fire up the iron genny but I can't say as I enjoy it nearly as much.

I've heard so many numbers relating to the overall cost of ownership and so far it seems to me to be a function of who you are, what you're willing to do and what you're willing to put up with and how well put together your boat was in the first place but at the cost of diesel I'm just glad to have a boat that doesn't move too much water and can go somewhere without burning too much of it.

[RiverRat]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

mega yachts routinely taking on board ~$30K worth of fuel.

GAK!

Originally Posted by gosstyla

... it is not unreasonable to expect to be able to do 10 knots burning 3 gals or less per hour in calm conditions.

Good to know. Thanks!

K

[dacust]

Originally Posted by RiverRat

Granted we're several years from an actual purchase, but we're leaning toward a power cat for several reasons. 1) we've never sailed (there's still time to learn) 2) we plan on more coastal / river / inlet cruising than bluewater 3) we'd want the space a cat provides and 4) cats tend to be more stable in weather. So, we're probably not the typical buyer, but get up and go for speed's sake isn't the draw. Although, it certainly is for some others.

K

Hey, it's River Rat!!! I'm glad you are keeping your name.

I have similar tastes to you. I think a power boat works well for coastal cruising. I have a planing power boat. My normal cruising would be to go to a town, stay for a few days (or even weeks), and then a short hop to another. Since I am not passage-making, the fuel usage is nominal. And for the Intracoastal and rivers, sailboats would be motoring much of it anyway.

BUT, I'd rather have a more fuel efficient boat. A power cat or trawler would suit me fine. An old trawler will probably fit my budget better.

-dan

[RiverRat]

Originally Posted by dacust

Hey, it's River Rat!!! I'm glad you are keeping your name.

Thanks! I've decided to embrace my inner rat!

Originally Posted by dacust

I have similar tastes to you. I think a power boat works well for coastal cruising. I have a planing power boat. My normal cruising would be to go to a town, stay for a few days (or even weeks), and then a short hop to another. Since I am not passage-making, the fuel usage is nominal. And for the Intracoastal and rivers, sailboats would be motoring much of it anyway.

Yep! That's us.

Originally Posted by dacust

BUT, I'd rather have a more fuel efficient boat. A power cat or trawler would suit me fine. An old trawler will probably fit my budget better.

-dan

Agreed. We do like the Grand Bank Classics, especially those rear decks. I'd like someone to buy a new power cat now, keep it in great shape for the next 6+ years, eat all the depreciation and then sell it to us for a fraction of what they paid for it. Whaddya think?

Kitty

[Blue Stocking]

During the summer marlin tournament here, it is not un-usual for the sportsfisherman with 3000hp to take on $8000 of fuel.

[capt_douglas]

The 126' motoryacht I Captain carries 10,000+ gallons/42000L of diesel. The Cats use 30gph each at cruise and the 75KW genset another 15. So if you think you pay a lot to fill the tank then consider a fill is about USD32,000 (we get a break on 5000gal or more) and we burn about 75gph or about USD300/hour underway.

In order to get things done, we use high volume pumps (about 100GPM), have two pumps running, and have to use cam-lock connectors because of the pressures involved. A big fill will take us several hours.